The Twittersphere was not happy about the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) deciding to use South African celebrities to promote e-tolls. This, after Sanral launched a YouTube campaign featuring the local television personalities Minnie Dlamini and Khanyi Mbau, as well as Metro FM presenter Tbo Touch (Thabo Molefe) giving their endorsement to e-tolls.
South Africans went to Twitter to voice their disapproval of the campaign, with Tumi Nkosi tweeting: "Dear #SANRAL, not even Beyonce will convince us to pay for these #etolls. As 4 @MinnieDlamini & Khanyi Mbau, how much of my tax was paid 2 u?"
There was a lot of concern about how much Sanral was paying the celebs for their endorsements, with Lead SA's Yusuf Abramjee tweeting: "#SANRAL should tell the nation how much has been paid to 3 celebrities to endorse #etolls."
Jack Devnarain tweeted: "Someone please tell me #SANRAL paid those idiots to promote #etolls. I can't imagine anyone being thick enough to actually do it for free."
The Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (OUTA) had already come out against the campaign, with chairperson Wayne Duvenage accusing Sanral of trying to sell e-tolls "as if it were a toothpaste or a washing powder".
"It is our opinion that this is just another desperate tactic to emboss the failed e-toll system with respectability, but in effect, it will probably only end up tarnishing the reputation of the celebrities who fall for it."
And he may have been right, as the celebrities themselves seemed to come under just as much fire as Sanral. Andries Mahlangu tweeted at Tbo Touch: "@iamtbotouch Shame on you for joining the government's propaganda machine to promote #etolls."
Twitter user Marumo called for people to "unfollow these #etolls hypocrites @MinnieDlamini @iamtbotouch @MbauReloaded supporting R1 billion corruption".
lwandisa tweeted: "Does#sanral really think people will pay #etolls just because @minniedlamini says she supports them! Lol! Biggest joke to date!"
Mbau did not escape the mockery, with Vlad the Impala tweeting: "Khanyi Mbau is very similar to eTolls in that both were foisted on us against our will and now we have no idea how to make them go away."
Duvenage criticised Sanral's decision to use celebrities "to try and sell a defunct policy", adding they are making a mockery of the message they are trying to send to the people.
"E-tolls will remain an irrational and unjust double-tax for citizens, and no amount of sugar coating is going to sweeten the deal or get the people to change their minds to the levels required."
Justice Project South Africa (JPSA) also came out in strong opposition to the campaign: "The best response that Sanral could come up with was to accuse OUTA of being 'obsessed' with them."
JPSA national chair Howard Dembovsky says they are particularly worried about the apparent involvement of the Gauteng Provincial Government in this advertising campaign.
"With so many other urgent issues which require funding in Gauteng, it is surprising that the Gauteng Provincial Government would choose to spend money on producing and airing, as well as paying, so-called 'celebrities' to promote e-tolling instead of spending it where it is truly needed."
SA celebrities Minnie Dlamini, Khanyi Mbau and Tbo Touch support e-tolls.
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