No, you don’t have to work from home, despite massive fuel price hike

2026-03-26 - 08:10

With petrol prices expected to hit record highs in April amid the Middle East crisis, the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) has clarified that South Africans don’t have to work from home to address high fuel prices. On Wednesday, officials from the department proposed an astonishing, surface-level solution to concerns around the expected surge in fuel costs and looming supply constraints, calling on motorists to stay at home. Working from home Director of the Fuel Pricing Mechanism at the department, Robert Maake, said that in the absence of state intervention, consumers will need to get crafty on ways to lessen the blow of the higher prices. “And then on the fuel saving tips, I just said that one of the tips or maybe recommendation[s] is working from home to reduce the demand and also to save on the cost.” However, the department’s spokesperson Lerato Ntsoko clarified recent media reports on working from home. Clarification Ntsoko said the director suggested that working from home could help employees manage the impact of rising fuel costs. “The Department categorically states that these remarks were made in response to a question from the floor during a workshop on fuel pricing mechanisms. In that context, working from home was mentioned purely as an example of one of several possible options that individuals or organisations might consider to mitigate rising transport-related costs. “It is therefore incorrect to report or interpret the response given during the workshop as an official position or policy proposal of the department or government. The response was not presented as a directive, recommendation, or policy intervention, but rather as part of a broader discussion during the workshop,” Ntsoko said. Ntsoko said the government continues to engage on matters relating to fuel supply, fuel pricing and the broader cost-of-living pressures affecting South Africans. Don’t panic Meanwhile, Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe urged South Africans not to panic about a possible fuel shortage, saying vessels carrying cargo and supplies destined for South Africa are passing through the Strait of Hormuz without interruption or threats of attacks from Iran. Mantashe was responding to questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday as South Africans remained deeply concerned about fuel shortages and a possible massive spike in fuel prices, which is expected to kick in next week. Mantashe said there was no need to panic. With the price of petrol expected to be announced next week, Mantashe said there was little South Africa could do about oil price shocks.