The OFM News team paid visits to three fuel stations on Thursday 15 July in the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality and found that it was mostly business as usual at the pumping stations with motorists filling up as normal as compared to the long queues witnessed in parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal presently. 

These two provinces have this week faced violent looting and instances of vandalism following the apprehension of former President Jacob Zuma last week for contempt of court. The South African Petroleum Industry Association (SAPIA) has informed national media outlets that the supply of petroleum products in the country remains stable for now, this is despite the temporary closures of two major petroleum refineries in Durban.

The organisers of May’s Mangaung Shutdown movement publicly rejected protests deemed to be pro the former President Jacob Zuma and suspended ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule. The Mangaung Concern Community (MCC)  said their constituents in Bloemfontein, Botshabelo, Thaba’ Nchu, Dewetsdorp, Wepener and Soutpan won’t participate in the now dwindling national shutdown calling for the immediate release of Zuma from jail. They are of the view that the province did not benefit from the duo’s leadership and instead was looted rampantly during Zuma and Magashule’s respective tenures as President and Premier, citing the asbestos housing scandal and the Vrede dairy project as such examples. “Mangaung Concerned Community rejects, with the contempt it deserves, any attempts of bringing the lawlessness, chaos and anarchy visited on beneficiary provinces to our shores. We are equal before the law and no one is above the law”. The movement led by Themba Zweni is now calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in Mangaung.

This statement comes as the MCC decided to boycott paying rates and taxes to the metro until the embattled council is dissolved, as opposed to organising a shutdown urging residents to do the same. Zweni told OFM News that the Mangaung council is not properly managed and this is evident when looking at the state of the Free State metro’s finances. This is despite an unqualified audit being attained by the only metro under administration for the financial year ending June 2020.  He explains why the boycott.  The MCC committee views revenue generated from rates paid, as the source of the council’s “arrogance” and they now wish to cut that life line.

So far at least 72 people have died in the national riots.

OFM News