Gauteng’s 43 ‘new speeding cameras’ – costing R465 million a piece

South Africa’s controversial R20 billion e-toll gantries are not going anywhere, and they will continue to be used to monitor speeding and detect criminal activity in Gauteng.

In 2013, the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) introduced the electronic toll collection system, or e-tolls, to fund the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Plan (GFIP).

This system aimed to generate revenue for highway upgrades in Gauteng by charging motorists each time they passed beneath one of the numerous gantries erected across the province’s highways.

These gantries were equipped with sophisticated technology, including CCTV cameras and sensors, designed to scan vehicles and automatically charge road users.

However, the introduction of e-tolls was met with overwhelming resistance. Most Gauteng motorists refused to pay the tolls, leading to widespread non-compliance.

The system quickly became unpopular, with critics arguing that it unfairly burdened ordinary citizens.

Civil society organisations, such as the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA), spearheaded campaigns against the tolls, and public pressure on the government to abandon the system mounted.

By 2024, after years of public outcry and non-payment, the government decided to shut down e-tolls.

In April 2024, the system was officially decommissioned, signalling the end of a controversial chapter in Gauteng’s road infrastructure.

However, while the gantries will no longer serve their original tolling purpose, they will remain an integral part of the province’s road network in a different capacity.

The sophisticated technology installed on the gantries, particularly the CCTV cameras, will not go to waste.

The infrastructure is now being repurposed to enhance road safety and fight crime.

This new approach, announced by former Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga in February, indicated that while tolling would cease, the gantries would still play a vital role in “crime prevention.”

Although no specific details were given at the time, a Sanral tender document issued in 2022 suggested that the e-toll infrastructure could be repurposed to serve as average-speed-over-distance checkpoints and a surveillance system for tracking stolen vehicles.

Such systems, already in place on some South African roads, calculate the time it takes for a vehicle to travel between two points.

This helps ensure motorists comply with speed limits, as those found exceeding the limit can be fined.

The repurposing of the gantries into such checkpoints would contribute to improving road safety and reducing speeding incidents.

Beyond speed monitoring, the CCTV cameras will be integrated into Gauteng’s broader crime-fighting infrastructure.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi confirmed that the provincial government had taken control of Sanral’s e-toll CCTV network, merging it with existing surveillance systems.

Speaking to Eyewitness News, Lesufi emphasised that the integration of e-toll cameras into the province’s law enforcement portfolio would play a crucial role in combating crime, including tracking stolen vehicles.

“We have taken over all of their CCTV cameras. They are part of our portfolio of CCTV cameras,” Lesufi said.

The premier also noted that the government had been given access to the command centre previously managed by Sanral, where permanent law enforcement agents are now stationed.

Lesufi highlighted that since taking over the surveillance system, the province has been able to clear a backlog of criminal cases, thanks to the additional data and monitoring capabilities the e-toll gantries provide.

This integration is expected to bolster law enforcement’s ability to respond to crimes and track stolen vehicles more effectively.

Cost

Despite its controversial legacy, the e-toll infrastructure is now being used to serve a different public good.

However, the financial toll of the original project continues to be a point of contention.

According to OUTA and a parliamentary Q&A in 2012, the capital cost of e-tolls was just north of R20 billion.

This included road construction, toll infrastructure, toll systems, and investment in intelligent transport systems that ultimately did not fulfil their intended purpose.

There are 43 overhead gantries that are spaced at about 10 km intervals on the N1, N3, N12 and R21 highways.

This puts the cost of these glorified speed cameras at roughly R465 million per gantry.

In terms of the agreement with the National Treasury, Gauteng is on the hook for 30% of the debt owed on the e-toll project, amounting to almost R13 billion.

The balance of 70% will be paid by the National Treasury.

It has been a long-standing question where the Gauteng portion would come from.

During the Gauteng budget in March 2024, former MEC for finance Jacob Mamabolo said that the province approached financial institutions to borrow the necessary money to pay off the e-toll debt – while also taking on over R4 billion worth of maintenance backlogs.

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