Joburg metro cops will not chase e-tolls

NEWLY minted Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba has allayed motorists’ fears about being hounded by the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) for e-toll payments.

During his inaugural speech in the city council on Tuesday. Mashaba unveiled his plans for the City of Gold.

Mashaba’s plans for the next five years include doing away with cycling lanes, shielding motorists from paying e-toll bills by getting buy-in from the Johannesburg metro police not to hound drivers who have not settled accounts, and handing over more than 2,000 title deeds — starting on Wednesday.

His office would also conduct a forensic audit on expenditure and tenders to weed out corruption, said the mayor.

“There will be no quiet departures or golden handshakes. Those found guilty of corruption and fraud will go directly to jail,” he said.

Mashaba said the City of Johannesburg metro police had made a commitment not to bother motorists for e-toll payments. Tony Taverna-Turisan, DA Johannesburg spokesman, said the mayor had met JMPD officials last week, when the parties agreed the metro police would not enforce e-toll payment.

Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse chairman Wayne Duvenage said no law required motorists to have e-tags.

“The metro police have never had jurisdiction [over e-tolls] anyway, they never had the right to inquire about e-tolls or e-tags. Maybe he [Mashaba] was clarifying that,” Duvenage said.

South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) spokesman Vusi Mona on Tuesday said the road agency had never had an agreement with the metro police to collect e-toll payments on its behalf.

Sanral had its own collection system, Mona said.

“Why would I require the JMPD [to assist] over the sophisticated system?” he asked.

Metro police spokesman Wayne Minnaar confirmed the meeting with Mashaba.

Its officers had never been tasked with collecting e-toll payments in the past and will not start doing so now, he said.