Cape Town - A legislature debate on the impact of increasing fuel prices and the rate of inflation on the Western Cape economy, poverty and hunger that had been flagged as a matter of public importance turned into a finger-pointing contest between the DA and the opposition.
The DA and the ANC blamed each other’s policies for the sorry state of the economy. Introducing the debate, DA MPL Gillion Bosman said that creating an enabling environment for the people of the country to thrive required the implementation of the types of economic policies that protected against hunger, instead of causing it.
He said the province’s policies around job creation were innovative ways around the problems caused by ANC mismanagement of the economy, and singled out Wesgro, which he said had facilitated almost R6 billion in investment and the creation of more than 4000 jobs through investors in the past financial year.
Bosman said that the unprecedented high fuel prices and the subsequent cost-of-living crisis was putting millions of citizens at risk.
He blamed the ANC, and said: “They have made the wrong decision at every turn and have brought the country to the precipice of a crisis that could see suffering in South Africa not seen since the years of apartheid.”
South Africans were this week left reeling after the price of 93 Unleaded petrol increased by R2.43 a litre, while 95 Unleaded went up by R2.30.
ANC MPL Gladys Bakubaku-Vos took aim at Premier Alan Winde’s call to the government to act on the escalating fuel price. On Tuesday, Winde said that rising fuel prices would make it more expensive to live, eat and travel in South Africa, and would hit the most vulnerable residents the hardest.
Bakubaku-Vos said: “Before the premier made noise about the need to slash fuel hikes, he should have first demanded that the DA in the City slash tariff hikes. Your anti-poor government is out of touch with people’s lived experiences.”
She said people needed food, houses and basic services like water and sanitation, and yet DA-administered municipalities like the City had more budget for roads than for housing.
“They are preoccupied with fuel price deregulation rather than investing towards social relief programmes to assist the people.”
EFF MPL Melikhaya Xego said that the constant increases in fuel and electricity prices would have a long-lasting impact on the province and the country.
He said the province was always bragging about having the country’s lowest unemployment rate, but it never mentioned that the majority of people employed in the Western Cape only received stipends and salaries that he said were far below the minimum wage.
MPL Ferlon Christians (ACDP) said ordinary citizens would feel the pain of the constant price hikes.
“In April 2022 the average cost of the household food basket was R4 542. In March 2022 it was R4 450. An increase of R92.”