Johannesburg – Gauteng Transport and Roads Infrastructure MEC Jacob Mamabolo says although the provincial government was opposed to e-tolls, it was not true that they had been scrapped.
Mamabolo said his comments on the matter were distorted in a SA FM report, which construed him to mean that e-tolls had been scrapped.
According to Mamabolo, the provincial government has been seized with the e-toll matter with a view to oppose its implementation in the province. He said the provincial government is eagerly awaiting the announcement by the National Government on the future of e-tolls.
"As we look forward to the announcement by National Government, we reaffirm our view that the e-tolling system in its current form burdens Gauteng residents on a matter that involves the national economy and the economies of neighbouring states.
“As we anxiously wait for the decision, the provincial government believes that it has put forward a compelling argument for the scrapping of e-tolls".
Mamabolo added that the provincial government has been working with the national government to ensure the implementation of the e-toll system in Gauteng is halted.
He also maintained that he has been engaging in consultations with Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula since November 2020 on the provincial government’s rejection of the proposed implementation of Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO) regulations as another method of enforcing the e-tolling system.
Mbalula responding to earlier reports, on Twitter said: “No decision yet on the future of the e-tolls. We are of the view that the MEC has made it quite clear that what he articulated during the interview, is a provincial position of Gauteng, which is not a new matter at all.”
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse Outa said: “Mamabolo has affirmed that the announcement on e-tolls has not been made yet, although the announcement is imminent”.
"If e-tolls have indeed been scrapped, the DA welcomes this but it appears as if the MEC has spoken out of turn. On several occasions, ANC leaders have been using this as an electioneering tool which is unacceptable, giving our residents false hope.
“We urge politicians and political heads to refrain from making irresponsible statements about e-tolls as it affects our livelihoods," said DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport Fred Nel.