Gauteng MEC for finance Jacob Mamabolo presented the Gauteng budget on Tuesday.

According to Mamabolo, the province has approached financial institutions to borrow the money needed to pay off the e-toll debt – while taking on over R4 billion worth of maintenance backlogs.

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Mamabolo also reiterated the promise from the province’s premier, Panyaza Lesufi, that the controversial E-tolls would be shut down starting 31 March 2024.

eTolls dead and buried! Today, through the MEC for Treasury ⁦@JacobMamaboloSA⁩ we signed the obituary of eTolls. Proud moment indeed. Less talk, more work! #GrowingGautengTogether pic.twitter.com/BuQmljeZxP

— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) March 5, 2024

“The province has approached financial institutions to raise the money required to honour its contractual obligations.

“This demonstrates beyond any reasonable doubt that the province’s commitment to comply with national treasury requirements and bring us closer to exiting the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project is right here,” Mamabolo said.

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He added that the process will see the National Treasury and the Department of Transport and Road agency SANRAL move forward with de-linking the toll system and repealing the necessary legislation to end the scheme entirely.

Two weeks after the deregulation gazette, Gauteng road users will no longer be charged to use the province’s freeways.

“Various processes will be in place leading up to the date, including turning the tag beeps off and stopping invoices to road users.”