A proposed national shutdown on Monday, 19 October, is being promoted as South Africans face rising fuel costs, with organisers calling on the government to reduce fuel levies and ease pressure on motorists and households.
Concerned Citizens of South Africa has taken responsibility for a poster circulating on social media that urges workers to stay home and learners to remain out of school as part of the planned action.
The call centres on the cost of petrol and demands for cuts to taxes and levies included in the pump price.
The proposed shutdown comes amid a series of protest calls and demonstrations across the country, following a separate national mobilisation announced by March and March that took place on 30 September.
BusinessTech reported that petrol reached R30.25 per litre in October, following sharp increases in recent months. The report also noted that the government temporarily reduced the General Fuel Levy (GFL) by R3 per litre earlier in 2026 before gradually restoring it in June and July.
Ntokozo Mkhize, a representative of Concerned Citizens of South Africa, confirmed the poster’s origins in an interview with CapeTalk, saying the organisation stood behind the message.
‘The poster that the people of South Africa saw going viral on different social media platforms is coming from Concerned Citizens of South Africa,’ Mkhize said.
He added: ‘We are taking full ownership of that poster; it is from us.’
Mkhize described the organisation as a people’s movement and said it was not affiliated with a political party. He said the proposed action was intended to reflect public concern about the cost of fuel.
The poster calls for a ‘total national shutdown’ on 19 October, asking employees not to report for work and learners not to attend school. People should check for verified updates from relevant authorities, employers and schools before making arrangements for the day.
The campaign is calling for reductions to taxes and levies that contribute to the retail price of petrol and diesel. Two major charges are the General Fuel Levy and the Road Accident Fund (RAF) levy.
The figures cited in the report put the GFL at R4.10 per litre and the RAF levy at R2.25 per litre – a combined R6.35 for every litre of fuel purchased.
The levies serve different purposes, as the GFL contributes to government revenue, while the RAF levy helps fund compensation for people injured in road crashes and their dependants. Reducing or removing them would therefore have implications beyond the immediate price paid at the pump.
South Africa has already used temporary fuel-levy relief this year. The GFL was reduced by R3 per litre in April and May, with the relief then phased out through increases of R1.50 in June and July.
Concerned Citizens of South Africa is not alone in calling for changes to fuel levies. The Automobile Association (AA) has also argued for a substantial reduction in the GFL and the removal of the RAF levy.
The AA acknowledged that the earlier R3-per-litre reduction came at a cost of approximately R17 billion to government revenue, but said temporary relief should have been accompanied by a longer-term plan.
‘We maintain that government can afford to cut the general fuel levy by R3 a litre, which would materially reduce the inflationary impact of fuel price changes,’ the association said.
The planned shutdown is scheduled for 19 October next-week.
Cape Town residents will need to follow any further announcements about local participation and possible effects on public transport, schools and workplaces.
Until arrangements are confirmed by the relevant organisations, the poster should be treated as a call for planned action rather than confirmation that services will be disrupted.
The central demand is for government to reduce fuel levies as petrol prices rise. Whether the proposed shutdown gains broad support, and whether it prompts any policy response, remains to be seen.
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