You failed us, Cyril told

GAUTENG ANC: ‘DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED’ E-TOLLS WERE NOT SCRAPPED

The overwhelming majority of motorists continue to refuse to pay – ANC official.

The ANC in Gauteng yesterday expressed disappointment at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s stance regarding the controversial e-tolls on the province’s freeways.

ANC Gauteng secretary Jacob Khawe wrote in an open letter to the president: “We really must say to you Mr President that we’re deeply disappointed at the fact that your speech [the State of the Nation address on February 7] said nothing about scrapping of e-tolls.

“The e-tolls have not worked in our province and the overwhelming majority of Gauteng motorists continue to refuse to pay.

“This, coupled with regular increases in fuel costs, drives up the cost of doing business and disproportionately diminishes the disposable incomes of both the middle strata and poor households.”

At its recent provincial executive committee lekgotla, ANC Gauteng committed to once again engage Ramaphosa and government departments “on the ideas and strategies we have developed on alternative funding and proposal for the payment of the debt being owed”, Khawe said.

In November, ANC Gauteng chairperson and Premier David Makhura said e-tolls had “no future” as long as the governing party remained in charge of the province.

“The e-tolls have no future in the plans of this province as long as the ANC is in charge,” Makhura said at the time.

“The e-tolls can only have a future in this Gauteng if the ANC is not in charge.”

Makhura led thousands of ANC members – marching with the labour federation and tripartite alliance partners Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party, civic society organisations such as the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, and members of the public – to the Union Buildings demanding that e-tolls be scrapped.

He said the majority of people who drove past the e-tolls daily were the working class and middle class South Africans. – ANA

This, coupled with regular increases in fuel costs, drives up the cost of doing business.

Jacob Khawe ANC Gauteng secretary