‘Dry Five Times in Three Weeks’: Fuel Shortages Spark Safety Fears at Cape Town Petrol Station

Concerns over fuel availability in the Western Cape have intensified after a long-time petrol station owner alleged irregular supply deliveries just days before April’s fuel price increase.

Makkie Isaacs , 70, owner of the Weltevreden petrol station in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, says his businessalong with several othershas faced repeated fuel shortages despite longstanding relationships within the industry.

With over 45 years of experience, Isaacs claims the current situation is highly unusual and deeply concerning.

“The concern I have is that Engen is one of the only companies that have not supplied their service stations regularly.”

The Safety Risk

Serving a community of nearly one million people in Mitchells Plain, Isaacs explained that the lack of fuel has created mounting pressure not only on operations but also on safety.

“When the fuel goes up and you can’t supply them, they can be very aggressive and it can affect our safety as management.”

Running Dry

Industry norms require petrol stations to maintain at least three days’ worth of fuel reserves. Isaacs claims his station ran completely dry multiple times in recent weeks.

“One petrol station has been dry five times in three weeks .”

He said that even after the price rise, delivery of petrol still has not improved.

The Ripple Effect

“There is also a ripple effect: most petrol stations have convenience stores, which customers make use of while filling petrol. If there is no petrol, then these stores and the workers are also going to suffer.”

“Workers have families to support and when they are given shifts, they will report for duty and they still have to be paid. We can’t tell them there’s no pay if there is no petrol.”

Engen’s Response

Gavin Smith , Engen’s external communications manager, said that in the days leading up to the recent fuel price adjustment, they experienced an unusual surge in demand across parts of their network, which placed temporary pressure on stock levels at some sites.

“Our teams are actively working to restore optimal supply across our network, with replenishment well underway and additional measures in place to stabilise availability during the busy Easter weekend.”

Economist’s View

Ulrich Joubert , an independent economist based in Hermanus, said he has read reports of shortages, especially diesel, particularly in rural towns.

“Due to the expected rise in diesel and petrol, people bought fuel in advance. The demand for fuel was much higher than anticipated and because of the increase in demand, this well could have led to the shortages.”

He warned that fuel shortages are “much more concerning than the increase in the fuel price.”

“It is just as bad as having a situation where there is loadshedding or water outages. The farming community can also be severely impacted by this.”

The Bottom Line

A petrol station owner with 45 years of experience says he’s never seen anything like this. Five times dry in three weeks. Frustrated customers. Staff to pay. And a supplier that he says isn’t delivering.

Engen blames a surge in demand. Economists point to panic buying. But for Mitchells Plain, the pumps are dryand the safety risks are real.