Sanral rubs Outa’s nose in defeat
SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) communications manager Vusi Mona has questioned why Outa has not called on its members – including banks and rental companies – to fund a continued legal battle over the e-tolling system in Gauteng.
Opposition To Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) chair Wayne Duvenage announced last week that he will not continue a legal battle, citing a lack of funds.
It follows the Supreme Court of Appeal’s dismissal of an appeal by Outa to scrap the controversial system earlier this month (October).
In an interview on Jacaranda FM on Tuesday (22 October), Mona said: “We hear they (Outa) have run into financial difficulties…from where I sit, I think it’s a very graceful way of exiting and conceding defeat.”
He noted that Outa’s members include banks, rental companies and manufacturers. “I assert that it will take less than a five minute telecom conference among those few…to raise the required money.”
He added that the DA could also contribute.
Duvenage responded: “We can’t afford it, we don’t have the luxury that Sanral and government have of dipping into taxpayers money to pay for their costs.”
He said that Outa’s members had already contributed with R2.5 million, “and the public have contributed 90% of our costs and we are still R1.8 million short.”
“Why doesn’t Sanral pay for our case if they want to have this out?”
Mona said that Sanral did not want to take a legal route as it would only be the lawyers who profited.
He said that there were lessons out of the e-toll debacle…”Democracy does work when people take the opportunity to say hell, we don’t want this. Lets not beat about the bush, you (Gauteng citizens) were given an opportunity.”
He said that the court ruled that Sanral had done everything it was expected to do according to the law. “The boxes were ticked.”
However, Mona then conceded: “Most probably we could have done more, but in terms of what we are required, in terms of the law, there is a judgement, and if anybody disputes that, they can go to court.”
Duvenage, however, said that if Sanral really wanted to engender a meaningful communications process, they would not have put one advert in six newspapers, and hidden them in the business section, and in some instances, in the international business section.
He said that Sanral received 30 responses out of 3.5 million motorists in Gauteng.
“Short of us going door to door, I don’t know what we were expected to do,” Mona said, adding: “If you are saying it was not meaningful, I am saying to you, there is the ConCourt to decide, let’s not behave like anarchists…”
“We accepted in 1994 when we embarked on this journey, that where there are disputes, we are not going to resort to the laws of the jungle. There are courts that must settle disputes.”
The Sanral spokesman said that the e-toll courts as reported in the media “is absolutely rubbish…there is nothing like that. Sanral is a road agency…these stories about special courts is absolute nonsense.”
The proposed tariffs for e-tolling were published in the Government Gazette following the court’s decision and the public has 30 days to comment.
Transport Minister Dipuo Peters, has said that the system could be implemented before the end of the year, despite a backlash from public, the DA, and Cosatu, among others.
More on Sanral and Outa
Outa will not appeal e-toll ruling
Stop e-toll negativity: Sanral CEO
E-toll courts proposal a “slap in the face” for SA
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