Greedy Gauteng ANC exposed

The apparent clandestine agreement between SANRAL and the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport to share the spoils of the toll road fees is an anathema to the DA.

With Government already wanting to take a 14% VAT cut on the 66c per kilometre toll fee, it now seems that 30c per kilometre was earmarked for the Gauteng coffers. This means that about 9c would be siphoned to national government in VAT and 30c to the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport meaning that SANRAL would only receive slightly less than 30c per kilometre.

We need to understand that discounts are still applicable to this figure so the actual cost of the construction and maintenance of the Gauteng Highway improvement is probably in the ballpark of 25 to 27 cents per kilometre. It is unacceptable that the motoring public is kept in the dark as to the actual costs of the highway upgrades . When scandals such as this are exposed, it compels the public to wonder why the powers that be take them to be nothing more than ‘stupid' milk cows.

The public uproar that resulted in Minister Ndebele suspending the costing of the toll will seem like a gentle wave of dissention compared to the tsunami that will be forthcoming if the Minister does not come clean on the actual costs, profits, incentives, overseas profits and government's ‘cut' of the profits. The public deserves a fully transparent disclosure of all the facts relating to these toll roads.

Statement issued by Neil Campbell, MPL, DA Gauteng spokesperson on roads and transport, February 25 2011

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