Motorists queue as firms hoard diesel before price hike

Fuel queues snake around Nelson Mandela Bay stations as diesel vanishes and panic buying kicks in hard.

Motorists stuck waiting forever

• Gqeberha drivers line up from dawn or drive off empty-handed daily.
• Many pumps run completely dry on 50ppm diesel for trucks and taxis.
• Some sites slap strict purchase limits to ration what little stock remains.

Suppliers accused of holding back

• Independent dealers get tiny fractions of requested deliveries from wholesalers.
• Petroleum companies allegedly stockpile ahead of April 2026 price jumps.
• Gulf war disruptions get blamed for throttling supplies to protect reserves.

Global mess drives local pain

• Brent crude blasts past one hundred dollars per barrel from Middle East attacks.
• Strait of Hormuz risks plus offline South African refineries spike import woes.
• Diesel suffers worst with empty stations popping up in Western Cape and Gauteng too.

Government downplays national crisis

• Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources insists no countrywide shortage exists.
• Contingency plans pull from West Africa while shipments stay en route.
• Strategic Fuel Fund holds roughly seven point seven million barrels but stays mostly untapped.

Everyday life takes the hit

• Taxis jack up fares while goods prices climb from transport delays.
• Farmers and small businesses sweat over diesel shortages stalling operations.
• April hikes loom to add several rands per litre, worsening the household squeeze.