Food price protests spread to Jo'burg

Surging food prices have posed a particular risk to poor people

The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) expects about 5 000 people to take part in a march against rising food, electricity and fuel prices, to be held in the Johannesburg CBD this afternoon.

The march will start at the Johannesburg City Hall at 1pm. It will proceed to the Eskom office and a Pick 'n Pay store in Braamfontein. Memoranda complaining about prices will be handed to management at both places.

Cosatu expects members of unions, NGOs and community organisations to join the march. It is one of a series of marches against rising prices being held countrywide.

Petrol prices rising
An economist has warned that petrol could reach R9/litre and diesel R11/litre as oil prices reach record highs. Credit Guarantee Insurance Corporation’s, Luke Doig, gave the grim warning as the spot price of Brent crude oil reached a new high in Asian trade of above $112 a barrel this morning.

Petrol in South Africa currently costs R8.91/l at the pump, and diesel R10.38/l. Doig says with oil prices again reaching record highs and no relief in sight for the beleaguered US dollar, new peaks in fuel prices may not be far off.