ANCYL Statement on toll ruling

The African National Congress Youth League has noted the ruling of the Constitutional Court with regard to the overturning of the judgment of the North Gauteng High Court on the e-tolls.

The African National Congress Youth League remains resolute that the judgment does not in any way invalidate any of the issues we have consistently raised against the e-tolls. We remain vehemently opposed to the e-tolling system on the basis that:

1. The tolls are simply unjustifiably expensive for all commuters and totally unaffordable to the working class, the poor and young people

2. Tolls will further weaken the already weak purchasing power of consumers given that due to apartheid spatial planning, most people live far away from places of work thus spending a significant portion of their income on travel -

3. The state has a responsibility to fund infrastructure development and maintenance through the direct and indirect taxes already levied against the public. Demanding further taxes to fund the same objective is tantamount to shifting the burden of delivery from the state to the public

SANRAL should not therefore overzealously take today's judgment as the green light to proceed with the implementation of e-tolls. It is government's responsibility to source alternative funding for the new roads built and such should never be passed on to the overstretched tax payer.

Statement issued by the African National Congress Youth League, September 20 2012

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter