It Is Now Illegal to Purchase Petroleum Products in Containers in South Africa
- The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has announced new regulations that it is now illegal for motorists to purchase petroleum products in containers
- The regulation was gazetted and announced on the morning of Thursday, 15 July 2021 amid the looming fuel shortage within the country
- Retail stores are also prohibited from selling diesel and petrol to consumers in containers and citizens have been encouraged to not panic buy
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The South African government has just announced that it is illegal for motorists to purchase both diesel and petrol in a container. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy announced the new regulations on Thursday morning.
This comes as the country faces looming shortages of fuel. Retail stores are prohibited from selling petroleum products to citizens in portable containers. The new regulations were just recently gazetted.
On the DMR website, it states that this was done in the 'interests of public safety' in relation to the ongoing unrest. The regulation is issued in terms of section 2(1) (a) read with section 12C(1)(a)(v)(aa) of the Petroleum products Act of 1977.
Source: Getty Images
The regulation serves to stop retail sales of the aforementioned products and the regulations of the above are attached in these two documents Energy and DMR website.
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News24 reported that the DMR stated that it assures the republic that although there are currently challenges in terms of the movement of petroleum products, there is currently enough product and the government is moving to secure the distributing of petroleum products.
South Africans are also discouraged from hoarding and panic buying as the department says it will increase shortages and exacerbate challenges being faced.
SA's biggest oil refinery has shut down amid the ongoing violent protests
Previously, Briefly News reported that SAPREF, South Africa's largest crude oil refinery, announced on Tuesday that it was temporarily closing down and declaring force majeure on contracts.
This announcement comes after violent protests broke out in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng as a response to the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma. The protests led to widespread looting, destruction of infrastructure and theft.
"In the case of a complete shut down of the refinery, the continuation of your agreement with SAPREF on the same terms and conditions becomes impossible," wrote SAPREF.
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Source: Briefly News
