ANC Gauteng wants to dump e-tolls

Gauteng Premier David Makhura says that the ANC in Gauteng is in favour of dropping e-tolls and introducing a fuel levy instead. Image: TruLegal Media

The ANC conference in Irene, supported Gauteng Premier David Makhura's establishment of an e-tolling review panel and urged conference Chairman Paul Mashatile to make submissions to the panel.

"The conference accepts the user-pay principle but Gauteng's economy benefits the whole country. The current system is too expensive. Traffic flow is negatively affected by urban tolling. We would rather have a fuel levy, administered by SARS," the resolution read.

Mashatile said after the conference that the ANC provincial executive committee would "work with the ANC leadership to ensure that the ANC speaks with one voice".

Last week, in his reply to a DA question in the provincial legislature, Makhura said he had no intention of declaring a dispute with the central government on e-tolls. However, he said: "If needs be, I am prepared to stick with the people of Gauteng. I will not abandon them."

"The conference did not talk about scrapping e-tolls. We said we do not support e-tolling in its current form. The conference said that the provincial executive committee should make submissions to the [review] panel." Makhura said.

Mashatile told the delegates that Makhura had spoken to President Jacob Zuma about the review panel but refused to reveal anything about the meeting.

Source: The Times via I-Net Bridge