Queueing in vain for gas

Mike Manson-Smith, Noordhoek

I spent three hours in the queue at Valley Motors Sun Valley earlier in the week trying in vain to purchase a cylinder of gas.

I was told by the manager that this is a daily occurrence and depending on the number of cylinders delivered by the supplier, many go home empty-handed as I did, to join the queue again the next day.

The demand for gas has shot up since the increase in load shedding and the arrival of winter.

I was further advised that it is not that there is a shortage of gas, but a shortage of cylinders as a huge number are taken over the borders to Zimbabwe and Mozambique and never brought back.

A further problem is that certain retailers will only fill or exchange a same-brand cylinder. For example, if you have a green Onyx Gas cylinder a retailer who sells Axfox will not fill or exchange your cylinder and vice versa.