As the petrol price in South Africa reaches record highs, DA leader Mmusi Maimane, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse and several taxi associations are expected to announce planned civil society action against the fuel hikes.

In a statement, the DA said it would hold a joint press conference in Tshwane on Tuesday to announce planned civil society action in “relation to the ever-increasing and unaffordable fuel prices which are imposed on all South Africans by the ANC government.

“These ongoing increases must be defeated,” the statement read.

The petrol price reached an all-time high in July when it breached R16 a litre in inland areas for the first time. The latest hike was attributed to the combination of a weaker rand, higher global oil prices and higher fuel taxes.

Earlier this month, President Cyril Ramaphosa gave ministers in the economic cluster a two-week deadline to come up with measures to ease the burden of high fuel prices and the VAT hike on already struggling consumers.

However, he was careful not to raise hopes of a quick solution, indicating that government’s options were limited.

“We know this matter is urgent and I wanted it to be attended to as quickly as possible… without raising anybody’s hope, I am saying there will be an interim report that they will give me,” Ramaphosa said.

“Economic cluster ministers will look at all options including the basket of products our people buy most, to see the extent [to] which we can extend non-vatable products. We obviously cannot tamper much in the end where it impacts on the budget and tax legislation that is out there,” he said.

Ramaphosa was speaking to journalists after he concluded a three-legged visit to the oil-producing countries of Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

While government looks at ways to ease the burden of these fuel hikes, the Automobile Association has said fuel prices are likely to rise again at the end of July going into August.