Maimane opposes e-tolling

This time Maimane’s visit last Wednesday in KwaThema was to conduct an e-toll tour of Gauteng as part of the DA’s effort to mobilise the public against the system.

During this tour, Maimane discussed the cost and impact of e-tolling with the community of Kwatsaduza.

He criticised the system saying that the government expects people to pay for the roads while thousands of young people live in poverty as the result of fewer job opportunities.

He said instead of making people pay for what is theirs, the government should put more effort into ensuring that children receive their textbooks in time for next academic year and that the teachers are in class during the hours of learning and teaching.

Maimane also used the platform to appeal for residents’ votes in next year’s national elections.

He said it breaks his heart to see that after nearly 20 years of democracy people are still suffering, living in the informal settlements with no electricity, proper sanitation or running water.

He promised the people that if the DA wins the up coming elections the first thing that the party will do is to ensure that they uproot corruption and that justice is done to those who spend the money of the state to fulfill their own needs.

Given a chance to ask questions, one of the residents, Mpho Makofane, said he has been living in Emavageni for 15 years and has been on the waiting list to get an RDP house since 1998.

Adding that he has already lost hope that he will ever have a proper home.

Responding to Makofane, Maimane said if a political party in power fails to deliver services to the people then that is a sign that people should vote for another party that will put the needs of the citizens first.

“We will strive to deliver services to all people in the country and ensure transparency regarding the process of awarding all government tenders to the bidders,” he promised.