E-tolls going, going... not gone

If politicians had to pay good money each time they mentioned the word e-tolls in cheap electioneering, we probably wouldn’t have had to dig into our state reserves this week. The call for the abolishment of the ill-conceived system in Gauteng has been a sensitive topic since it was implemented more than 10 years ago. It was doomed from the start, as Joe Public insisted they will not pay for services that should be provided by our tax. That defiance of the majority of the public to not pay their e-tolls has been a thorn in government’s side, prompting many provincial government leaders to promise they will put an end to e-tolls, once and for all.

Yet, despite the encouraging proclamations from every “honourable member”, it always amounts to very little as government usually backtracks on those promises. We’ve heard it all before... Former Gauteng premier David Makhura vowed to find a solution, yet there was no real action, and now current Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi has insisted the formal process to switch off and delink e-tolls on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) will begin on 31 March.

Delivering his State of the Province Address, Lesufi said e-tolls will “be history in our province”. The premier has previously gone as far as saying he was in support of government reimbursing those motorists who had paid e-tolls. But if we believe that, we’ll believe anything as this could cost the government billions – and there’s just no money. It’s not going to happen.

In true form, just days after Lesufi’s announcement, Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana poured cold water over his statement, insisting Gauteng will have to tell them where they’ll get their money from.

Godongwana said: “Who’s going to do the maintenance? Is it a discussion they’re [having] with the department of transport? So, unless an agreement is tied down, I can’t make a commitment as to when the gantries will go.”

The e-toll “yes, no, maybe” roller coaster continues...