As petrol reaches record highs amid rolling blackouts, people have taken to Twitter to say #SorryJacobZuma

As South Africans brace themselves for record high fuel prices this week, coupled with rolling Stage 6 blackouts, social media users are flooding Twitter to apologise to former President Jacob Zuma. Picture: Theo Jeptha/ African News Agency(ANA)

As South Africans brace themselves for record high fuel prices this week, coupled with rolling Stage 6 blackouts, social media users are flooding Twitter to apologise to former President Jacob Zuma. Picture: Theo Jeptha/ African News Agency(ANA)

Published Jul 5, 2022

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Durban - As South Africans brace themselves for record high fuel prices this week, coupled with rolling Stage 6 blackouts, social media users are flooding Twitter to apologise to former President Jacob Zuma.

On Tuesday morning, #SorryJacobZuma was the number one trend on Twitter in South Africa.

Tweeps, as they are known on that platform, praised the corruption accused former president with the general sentiment being, “you do not know what you have until it is gone”.

Others were outright apologetic to the former president, with one user saying, “I hope I'm not too late, but I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to President Jacob Zuma for all the harmful things I said about you during your tenure. I was made to believe that you were the problem, but I know better now. Sorry, my president”.

It comes as South Africans endure another week of rolling blackouts as Eskom battles generation capacity. In addition, fuel will hit record highs from midnight after Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe announced that 95 ULP will rise by R2.57, pushing the cost to R26.74, while an increase of R2.37 to 93 ULP will see consumers pay R26.31 a litre.

The inland wholesale price of 500ppm diesel will be R25.40, and 50ppm diesel will cost R25.53. This is nearly R10 per litre more than a year ago.

The adjusted fuel prices are effective from Wednesday.

Many economists have blamed for the worldwide increase in fuel on the doorstep of the Russia / Ukraine war, which has also seen the price of food skyrocket.

— Thabani Mdletshe (@Realthabanim) July 4, 2022

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