NATIONAL NEWS - The government dragging its feet in coming to a decision on the future of the Gauteng freeway improvement projects (e-tolls) over the past few years could be because of a clash of views within government itself, a political analyst has said.
It has been almost two years since President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed a task team to resolve the impasse over e-tolls.
Since its implementation in December 2013, it has been met with public hostility with motorists refusing to pay.
Several deadlines have been missed and no decision has been announced.
Political science Professor at the University of South Africa Dirk Kotze said the delay in the announcement of the decision was because different government entities had different views on the matter.
Kotze said the government was facing a debacle of public opinion against paying e-tolls in Gauteng, which has an impact on local government elections or having the state forking out money to fund the scheme.
“The ANC lost votes back in 2016 because of this and the provincial government does not fully support the e-tolls. But the national government says that the debt on the system is so much that it cannot pay it and it must be a user-pay principle with motorists to continue paying for it.”
Previously national treasury minister Tito Mboweni said that the e-tolls would not be scrapped and that motorists would have to pay for it. Meanwhile, Gauteng provincial government wanted them gone.
Kotze said latest reports of lack of fiscals in the national government has exacerbated debates on the financing of the e-tolls with the issue continuing to linger with no specific decision taken.
“There is no solution on the matter. It is challenging for them to provide a compromise between the two extremes.”
Kotze said although the government gave millions of rands for the bailout of institutions like Eskom and South African Airways, they dragged its feet on e-tolls as they were only affecting only one province and not nationally.
“People from other provinces would not want to pay for something they do not use.”
With local government elections a few months away, Kotze said the e-toll matter was a sensitive issue.
“Given the experience of 2016 (when the ANC lost significant support in Gauteng) they do not want to repeat that. So far, the e-tolls have not been a major issue like they were in 2016 but they can still become one.”
Kotze said if the government would make an announcement on the proposed scrapping of e-tolls it was likely to be close to the election time in October.
Briefing the national assembly on the Department of Transport’s 2021 budget vote on Friday, minister Fikile Mbalula said the decision on e-tolls was “not easy”.
While no decision has been announced, Mbalula said his department has thus far proposed nine possible solutions and that the government was on the verge of resolving the issue.
“The national treasury has been mandated by the cabinet to work with the transport department to resolve this matter. An announcement is imminent and I have not misled the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).”
Having missed deadlines set by himself to announce the decision, Mbalula said he was “not rogue (dishonest)”.
“For those who have no governance experience, it is very easy to just criticise. It is a tough job balancing government books. We are, however, near to finding a solution for this matter, a sustainable and attainable decision within the available framework,” he said.
After not a word on the future of the e-tolls was mentioned in the transport budget vote speech, opposition political parties slammed Mbalula for how he has handled the e-tolls matter.
IFP Khethamabala Petros Sithole said the delays were frustrating.
“We are equally frustrated with Mbalula and his lazy attitude in addressing the matter. E-tolls have a devastating effect on road users in Gauteng, especially companies who struggle to operate in the current economic climate.”
Civil Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa), which previously legally challenged the government on e-tolls, CEO Wayne Duvenage said he was not surprised by the missed deadlines.
“All this does is widening the credibility and trust gap between government and citizens. If Mbalula continues making promises and not keeping them, it causes damage for him.”
Duvenage said if the government would decide not to scrap the e-tolls, it would need to be financed through the national treasury.
“One thing is clear from this, the motorist will not pay for the scheme.”
The fate on e-tolls remains unclear while cabinet nor transport ministry has not set another date on when a decision on the future of the scheme implemented eight years ago would be announced.
