Final pronouncement expected over future of e-tolls

A final pronouncement on the future of e-tolls, not only in Gauteng, but across the country was expected later this month, transport minister Fikile Mbalula said.

“After July 19, you will get our response,” he said.

Mbalula was responding to a question about ongoing remarks about the “imminent” pronouncement over the controversial system during a late-night television interview on news channel eNCA on Wednesday evening.

During the interview, he explained that there would be a meeting between his department and national treasury where they would discuss related matters “this week”.

The said meeting was initially expected to take place last week but was postponed.

“The president will have to give us an opportunity to present our report to cabinet and once cabinet endorses our approach with finance minister Tito Mboweni, we will come to you [the media],” Mbalula said.

He also explained that it had taken time for a decision to be made as they reportedly did not agree “on a whole lot of things”.

“We needed to find each other and now we are doing exactly that,” Mbalula said.

Some of the things which were being discussed, were said to include the “user pay principle” and the implications of the decision they intended to makeover the future of e-tolls.

“This includes considering, among others, whether or not we must cancel and what the implications are – every decision we make has implications,” Mbalula said.

“It’s not a small issue, it’s got a huge impact.”

While e-tolls have continued to make headlines since they were implemented in December 2013.

In May, Gauteng roads and transport MEC Jacob Mamabolo said they would be scrapped in the province during a radio interview.

In the interview, he said: “The e-tolls are a thing of the past and we are just waiting for that to be formalised and confirmed.”

Mamabolo was also heard saying that while an announcement about the future of the system should have already been made, they were awaiting “imminent good news” related to e-tolls being scrapped.

Just hours after Mamabolo’s interview, then-transport ministry spokesperson Ayanda Allie-Paine reiterated that no decision had been made over their future.

“It is important to note that currently no decision has been made regarding the future of e-tolls,” she said.

“At the moment, the ministry of transport is responsible for ensuring that the proper decision is made with regard to how road infrastructure roll-out and maintenance in this country will be financed.”

Allie-Paine also made it clear Mamabolo’s remarks were only of Gauteng’s position.

“The MEC has made it quite clear that what he said in the interview is a provincial position of Gauteng,” she said.

“Our understanding is that this is the position which Gauteng is lobbying in the national government to adopt on e-tolls and we respect that.”

The system’s implementation was met with public hostility, with motorists consistently refusing to pay. President Cyril Ramaphosa subsequently appointed a task team to resolve the impasse in 2019.

Last month, Dr Azar Jammine said: “Should government not scrap the e-tolls, there would be resentment from millions of people. This will have an impact on the elections – it will definitely cost them votes, that’s why the Gauteng government is adamant on scrapping the system.”

Jammine is the director and chief economist at Econometrix.

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