The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources and the Fuels Industry Association have issued a joint statement urging South Africans not to engage in any “panic-buying” of fuel, insisting that supplies to the country remain stable for the immediate future. The joint statement comes amid concerns of possible supply disruptions as well as the prospect of extreme price hikes in diesel and petrol in April, precipitated by blockages to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz following the launch of military attacks on Iran by the US and Israel.