Minister Radebe and the Energy Department’s failure to turn up at an Energy Portfolio Committee meeting on the petrol price is the clearest indication yet that government has no plan to deal with escalating fuel costs.
This no-show by a government delegation was disrespectful to Parliament and, more importantly, disrespectful to the millions of South Africans who are struggling with the high cost of living.
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, Mr Fikile Majola, was quite correct to castigate the Minister, the Deputy Minister and the Department for what he referred to as a “boycott” of the Portfolio Committee.
The Portfolio Committee unanimously agreed with the DA’s proposal to write to the Speaker of Parliament to express our collective displeasure, and to summon the Minister to the Portfolio Committee to brief us on the fuel price next Tuesday.
Minister Radebe was supposed to communicate on the petrol price in the second week of July, but he has said nothing. This was his opportunity to offer South Africans hope that government had a plan to cushion the blow of high fuel costs.
We can only conclude that the no-show by the Minister, the Deputy Minister and his Department is an indication that government simply has no plan to deal with the fuel price. The Minister has an opportunity to prove us wrong by appearing before the Committee next Tuesday and presenting a credible plan to bring down the price of petrol.