The decision by new Gauteng premier to appoint a panel to "review the impact of e-tolls" in the province appears to be a move by the African National Congress (ANC) to woo voters in the build-up to the 2016 municipal elections, according to reports in the papers this morning.
The Sunday Times and Sunday Independent had similar reports, citing public discontent which may have contributed to the ANC garnering 53.9% in the provincial elections in May - a drop from 65% in the 2009 vote.
Delivering his first State of the Province Address on Friday, Makhura gave the first official indication of government's intention to address some of the strong public criticism endured by the tolling system.
"While we shall not promise easy solutions and claim easy victories, we must make it clear that we cannot close our eyes to the cries of sectors of our population who are severely affected by the cost of travelling in the province," he said.
"The people's voice must be heard on all the issues. It's against this background that we shall also set up a panel to review the impact of e-tolls and invite new proposals on how we can find a lasting solution to the matter," continued Makhura.
The Sunday Independent quotes Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) chairman Wayne Duvenage, who says Makhura appeared to have an understanding of the irrationality and high costs of the system.
The Sunday Times, meanwhile, quotes an unnamed member of the ANC's provincial executive, who says the announcement of a review panel is not an act of defiance against the party's national leadership.
"There's been behind-the-scenes negotiations between province and national on the matter. When the election results were announced, it was decided then that this is an issue that we needed to look at," the insider says.
Political analyst Steven Friedman is also quoted in the Sunday Times, saying although the provincial government has no powers to scrap e-tolling, the review might lead to a strong recommendation for national government to do so.
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