The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has welcomed news that e-tolls, as we know it, looks set to be scrapped.
It said that it was badly thought out in the first place.
During his medium-term budget speech on Wednesday, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced that government would absorb the R47 billion e-tolls debt sitting with Sanral.
He explained that the Gauteng provincial government had agreed to foot 30% of the bill, with the national government expected to pay the remaining 70%.
Outa’s Wayne Duvenage said that resistance by citizens to paying e-tolls was one of the most successful civil disobedience campaigns in post-apartheid South Africa and this is something to celebrate.
“It is one that sends a very clear message to government: if you’re going to introduce complex, expensive, and irrational policies in future, do so at your own peril if you do not get the buy-in of the public.”
He said that credit must be given to all South Africans who refused to pay e-tolls.
At the same time, the Gauteng provincial government said that it would meet with Sanral management soon to see how its infrastructure could be used in crime prevention.
-EWN
In other news – SABC’s serious warning to Zahara
South African award-winning Afro-soul singer Zahara is the latest celebrity to be accused of being a diva. A local publication reports the singer, who is working on a reality show that will premiere on SABC soon, has been given an ultimatum by the public broadcaster.
According to the outlet, the channel may pull the plug on her reality show if she doesn’t stop acting like a diva. According to the publication’s source, production was put on hold recently as Zahara and the production team were apparently not seeing eye to eye. Learn More