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SACP calls on govt to scrap e-tolls system in Gauteng

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The South African Communist Party Gauteng chairperson Joe Mpisi has told the national government to scrap the e-tolling system in Gauteng before the upcoming 2019 elections.

Mpisi has been speaking at the Union Buildings in Pretoria where thousands of members of the ANC, its alliance partners and civic organisations are, after marching from the city’s CBD.

They are demanding the scrapping of the controversial e-tolls, fuel hike, VAT increase and data prices.

The ANC and Cosatu also marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to hand over a memorandum to the Presidency.

The memorandum demands the scrapping of the controversial e-toll system.

The move is in response to Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, when he made it clear that he was against the scrapping of e-tolls.

Mboweni also urged motorists to pay their e-toll bills to ensure that the country had a road transport infrastructure that worked.

There have been widespread calls for the scrapping of the e-toll system.

Unnecessary pressure

Meanwhile Gauteng premier David Makhura says the e-tolls have put unnecessary pressure on the residents of the province. He was speaking in his capacity as ANC provincial leader on the sidelines of the e-toll march which started from the Pretoria CBD to the Union Buildings.

The ANC, its alliance partners and other civic organisations have brought in thousands of marchers from Gauteng. They want the national government to scrap e-tolls.

Makhura says he’s confident that President Cyril Ramaphosa will heed the call of the province’s residents’ to reduce the burden of the system on them.

“These people’s march focuses on the very important issues of the rising cost of living. We are confident that President Cyril Ramaphosa who is at the helm of our country, will be able to listen and hear all these concerns of our people.”

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