Street hawkers have also entered the fray and blamed the government for the latest hike in the fuel prices. They say they also have to increase the price of basic foodstuff such as potatoes, tomatoes, onions, etc. They also complain about other services' not being rendered by the local municipalities.
One of the hawkers who operates in the Thohoyandou CBD, Mr Ketan Mutepe, said hawkers were in big trouble because of the municipality's failure to provide water and electricity. "We use water in everything we do here. We have to cook, wash dishes and also provide drinking water to the customers. We are really struggling," he said.
On the question of load shedding, he said they bought perishable goods from big retailers every day. "Failure to provide electricity means we have to sell drinks that are not cold. Ice-cream and yoghurt products are melting. The government is slowly pushing us out of business," he added.
Meanwhile, a hawker who has been selling at the crossroads between Makonde and Tshilamba, Ms Maria Ngwana, says since the latest fuel hike was announced, taxis and buses have increased their fares, which will affect hawkers in a very negative way. "I doubt if I will ever be able to put food on the table. Cars that bring stock like potatoes are also increasing their prices, and we are unable to make a profit anymore," she said.
At Tshilamba, almost 30 kilometres from Thohoyandou, hawkers are also complaining about the rise in the fuel prices and lack of service delivery. Ms Regina Mugwabana, who has been selling at the Tshilamba taxi rank for more than 30 years, says the failure of the municipality to provide water and electricity is killing their business.
"How are we going to clean our products without water? Now taxis are increasing the fares because of the fuel hike. Some of the hawkers are already closing shop. I am pleading with our government to intervene; otherwise, the future of our children looks bleak," she said.