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Govt continues to push e-tolling

Martin Czernowalow
By Martin Czernowalow, Contributor.
Johannesburg, 20 Oct 2014
Transport minister Dipuo Peters says her department and Sanral will now appear before the e-toll review panel.
Transport minister Dipuo Peters says her department and Sanral will now appear before the e-toll review panel.

In the face of growing opposition to e-tolling - some of it coming directly from the ruling party's Gauteng branch - the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) remains seemingly determined to sway public opinion about the system, steadfastly defending e-tolling in its current format.

In a complete about-turn, transport minister Dipuo Peters has stated her department and Sanral would appear before the e-toll review panel. Initially, Sanral snubbed suggestions it should present to the panel, while Peters previously maintained the panel held no sway over national government.

The 15-member review panel - appointed by Gauteng premier David Makhura to probe the socio-economic impact of the e-tolling system - is gathering input from stakeholders and interested parties. The panel is expected to present its findings at the end of November.

Sanral spokesman Vusi Mona this morning stated government will present before the panel, and its delegation would be made up of the Department of Transport as the custodian of transport policy, National Treasury, and Sanral as the implementer of policy.

"The objective is to clarify some of the assumptions and unfortunate untruths that characterised some of the presentations done so far. Also, it is important for the public to understand the history of this project and that will form part of the presentation," says Mona.

His comments echo those made by Peters, who was quoted in media reports as saying the department would strive to correct the "distortions about the system which were now in the public domain". Furthermore, Peters stated other e-toll funding options had been explored, but the current system is most "implementable". This again is a departure from the ANC in Gauteng, which has called on the fuel levy to be used to fund e-tolling.

Too late

However, opponents of e-tolling have slammed Peters and Sanral, taking issue with their position and attitude towards the public, as well as their timing. The Justice Project SA (JPSA) says the minister's reference to needing to "correct distortions" is a new low "even for them".

"Sanral was invited to make its submissions to the panel a long time ago and instead of seizing the opportunity, they, the Department of Transport and minister Peters decided to actively try to discredit the panel, labelling it as little more than a farce and refusing to participate," says the JPSA.

"Minister Peters even went so far as to say that she 'has no duty to implement the findings of the panel', but now it would appear that she and her cohorts wish to manipulate those findings at a crucial time in the process - after representations and submissions have closed."

The organisation notes the schedule of the Gauteng e-tolls review panel has been and continues to be tight, and it is due to present its report to Makhura by no later than 30 November, adding the panel has a significant number of submissions to consider. "For Sanral, the Department of Transport and minister Peters to now announce they will address the panel during the time it is supposed to be sifting through those submissions and the evidence placed before it and compiling its report is highly irregular, at best."

The JPSA points out, while no one is trying to deny Sanral and the department their right to be heard, they have "absolutely no right to seek to interfere with the process significantly, after submissions have closed and this must be viewed in a very dim light and should not be allowed".

'Clearly failing'

Similarly, the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) has criticised Sanral and Peters for their position, asking why a participatory stance could not have been adopted since the start. Outa chairperson Wayne Duvenage says it is very concerning that Peters and Sanral continue to support the current funding mechanism, when e-tolls are clearly failing.

Duvenage says government is welcome to furnish a history of the project and "put forward their side of the story". "We would love the opportunity to counter what they have to say."

He also described as "rather strange" the divergent view of the national executive of the ANC and the provincial branch, which reveals a "splintering view" of e-tolls. "It is important that the Gauteng legislature has its say, since e-tolling is happening in its province. It will be very interesting to see how national government will force the issue, especially with local elections some 20 months away."

That the ANC is divided over e-tolling was again highlighted in weekend press reports. The City Press stated ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe has warned against using the system to challenge the national party leadership. This is not the first time Mantashe has waded into the e-tolling debate, drawing criticism that ANC headquarters Luthuli House is running the country, rather than Parliament.

At the recent announcement of its position on e-tolls, the ANC in Gauteng noted it would lobby the National General Council (NGC), in June 2015, to have the system scrapped. However, Mantashe said the party must not use the NGC as a "scarecrow", adding the event should not be used to threaten the national party publicly.

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