Zuma welcomes the e-toll opposition

Reports that President Jacob Zuma is angry about the stance of the Gauteng ANC who said they are opposed to the e-tolls are incorrect, the presidency said.

According to reports, Zuma deliberately ridiculed the ANC’s Gauteng conference this past weekend due to the party opposing e-tolling in its current form.

“South Africa is a democratic country and the leadership of the ANC in Gauteng has every right to state their views and that of the membership of Gauteng with regard to what government is doing, including displeasure about the e-tolls in their current form,” said Zuma.

He added that the Gauteng ANC

could not be suppressed to express their views.

“The premier of Gauteng, David Makhura, discussed this matter with me long before the ANC conference. The national government will discuss the matter with Gauteng,” said the president.

The Democratic Alliance’s Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport, Neil Campbell, said the ANC’s rejection of e-tolling in its current form shows that ANC individuals are making a complete full circle in their opposition of e-tolling.

Campbell said the DA and the ANC had opposed the system when e-tolls were first proposed to the roads and transport portfolio committee in Gauteng.

“Higher powers then whipped these dissenting ANC voices into supporting e-tolls but losses at the polls have seen the Gauteng ANC change its collective mind yet again,” he said.

He said the only way to pay for the freeway upgrades is via an annual national fuel levy of R42 million.

“There is no need for overseas input and profit removal which is only costing Gauteng and South Africa jobs.”

Meanwhile, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) conducted a survey which concluded that e-toll service quality is poor, regardless of the level of interaction with Sanral or willingness to pay.

“A sizeable portion of road users will remain opposed and will continue to ignore collection efforts out of frustration with poor service delivery and as a matter of principle. The gross majority of the respondents indicated that the level of service for the e-toll administration was ‘very poor’,” said CEO Neren Rau.

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