JOHANNESBURG -  This is because the IMC, appointed to tackle issues regarding e-tolling, would only meet with the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) today.

“We will make an announcement after the end of consultations.

Earlier indications suggested that it could have been today. We planned to meet with them much earlier but we couldn’t,” said Masebe.

He could not give a new date  for when the announcement  would be made.

Prior to news of the delay, Cosatu’s spokesman Patrick Craven voiced concern that the announcement would be made so shortly after the federation’s meeting with the IMC.

“They obviously haven’t taken into account  what we are  going to say to them,” Craven  said, adding that there was fear  the consultations were “just a sham”.

It should also be considered that there was an ANC task team   looking at alternative funding models and a legal review on the matter  in the North Gauteng High Court in November,  he added. “If they have already decided (about e-tolling) then we will have to re-launch a campaign to take mass action against it.”

Cosatu has asked the public not to purchase e-tags.

The IMC discussions follow a Constitutional Court ruling this month that overturned a North Gauteng High Court decision in April, which halted the implementation of e-tolls pending the full review.

The National Treasury and the SA National Roads Agency(Sanral)  had made an appeal to the Constitutional Court shortly after judgment. 

The Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) who initially brought the High Court application, held talks with the IMC last week.

Outa chairman, Wayne Duvenhage, said Sanral had communicated to that it would launch e-tolling “soon”.

“I think they will exercise far more caution if they wait for the review.

There is so much confusion out there,” said Duvenhage.

“Our position is that we will continue with the full judicial review. We are very concerned about the decision to toll.

It’s an unnecessary waste of taxpayers’ money.
Admin costs for e-tolls will be well above a billion rands a year.”

The meeting with the IMC was not fruitful either, he said. “We went there expecting we had been invited to a presentation of findings.

They just went with tolling as a mechanism, and asked if we would accept tolling at a reduced rate and what would that rate be.”
The IMC were not available to comment.

Religious groups have reportedly expressed satisfaction with the committee meetings, which it said took their concerns into consideration.
– yadhanaj@citizen.co.za