Mantashe: Contingency plans in place to ensure an uninterrupted supply of jet fuel in SA

JOHANNESBURG - South Africans can be assured that there will be enough jet fuel supply to airports across the country.

On Monday, the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) raised the alarm, claiming a critical shortage of jet fuel at OR Tambo International Airport.

This follows a fire at the refinery of the National Petroleum Refiners of South Africa earlier in January.

During a media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday afternoon, Mineral Resources and Petroleum Minister Gwede Mantashe took a jab at ACSA, claiming they sought his department's assistance in resolving the jet fuel shortage and yet PetroSA has never been given access to supply jet fuel to major airports.

"Government-owned PetroSA, which is actually supplying jet fuel, was never given access to major airports. It is only supplying jet fuel to two small airports, that is East London and George. It’s easy to point fingers, but if you don’t create an enabling space for parties to play, you’ll see that when there’s a crisis. So the fact that Petro SA is not allowed to bring jet fuel to major airports should not be made an excuse when there’s a crisis."

Mantashe said that contingency plans had been put in place to ensure an uninterrupted supply of jet fuel in the country.