Residents lose more of their hard-earned salaries, as another promised announcement on e-Tolls passes
24 May 2021
It is clear that the ANC-led government has no intention to get rid of e-Tolls in the province, despite numerous promises by Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, that an announcement would have been made on the matter by Friday last week. Our residents have clearly indicated to government that they cannot afford the unnecessary burden of e-Tolls as they are already struggling to make ends meet. This has been made worse with the Covid-19 pandemic which has seen the price of basics foods and petrol continue to rise.
On 6th May 2021 Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula announced that a decision on e-Tolls will be made within two weeks. The two weeks have now come and gone, and he has once again kicked the can down the road, while our residents are made to pay for something they did not agree to in the first place.
There even seems to be no willing enthusiasm by the ANC in Gauteng, who voted against a DA motion calling for the total scrapping of e-Tolls in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature last Tuesday. While we as the DA are concerned about saving livelihoods and boosting the economy for the benefit of millions of our residents and commuters, the ANC continue to be hellbent on milking the same commuters dry, while also turning law abiding citizens into criminals.
It is further clear that the Gauteng Provincial Government has no intention of declaring an intergovernmental dispute on this matter even though it is clear that Minister Mbalula is just spewing empty promises on this issue.
The DA will continue to push for the debate on e-Tolls to go ahead in the National Council of Provinces so that residents can finally be relieved of the unfair curse of paying for e-Tolls.
Issued by Fred Nel, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport, 24 May 2021
