Concerned Citizens of South Africa have called for a national shutdown on October 19, 2026, in protest against rising fuel prices and to demand that the government reduce the General Fuel Levy (GFL).
The call comes amid growing concerns over the impact of high fuel costs on households, businesses and commuters. Petrol prices reportedly reached R30.25 per litre in October.
A poster calling for a “total national shutdown” has circulated on social media, urging workers to stay away from work and learners not to attend school on the day of the planned demonstrations.
Organisation representative Ntokozo Mkhize confirmed to Cape Talk that the poster originated from the group.
“The poster that the people of South Africa saw going viral on different social media platforms is coming from Concerned Citizens of South Africa,” Mkhize said.
“We are taking full ownership of that poster; it is from us.”
Mkhize described the organisation as a people-driven movement with no affiliation to any political party, saying the planned action was intended to highlight public frustration over the cost of living.
He said the government should reduce taxes and levies included in the retail price of fuel to provide relief to consumers.
“It must come from cutting these levies and taxes that are included in the petrol price. We have the RAF, we have the General Levy, we have all sorts of levies that we are paying,” he said.
The two main levies included in South Africa’s retail fuel prices are the General Fuel Levy and the Road Accident Fund (RAF) levy. They contribute towards government revenue and funding for road accident-related compensation, among other public needs.
The GFL currently adds R4.10 per litre to fuel prices, while the RAF levy contributes a further R2.25 per litre, bringing the combined cost to R6.35 per litre.
The government previously reduced fuel levies by R3 per litre in April 2026 to cushion consumers against sharp increases in fuel prices. The relief was suspended in April and May before being phased back in during June and July, with R1.50 added to fuel prices over the two months.
The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) has also called for further relief, proposing a R3-per-litre reduction in the GFL and the complete removal of the RAF levy.
The AA acknowledged that the earlier fuel levy reduction came at a significant cost to government revenue, estimated at approximately R17 billion.
However, the association argued that longer-term measures were needed to protect consumers from the inflationary effects of rising fuel prices.
The AA maintains that the government can afford to reduce the GFL by R3 per litre, which it says would help ease the financial pressure on consumers.
The proposed shutdown is expected to draw attention to demands for lower fuel prices and renewed calls for government intervention.
Based on reporting by BusinessTech News