Ramaphosa to sign off massive e-toll bailout – passed in new R5 billion bill

The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) has followed suit of the National Assembly (NA) and passed the Special Appropriation Bill on 10 December 2024.

The Bill now sits on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s desk for assent.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana tabled the Bill in Parliament when he presented the 2024 (MTBPS) in the NA on 30 October.

It seeks to withdraw approximately R5.12 billion from the National Revenue Fund for two main reasons: allocating funds for South Africa’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) case against Israel, and to help settle Gauteng’s e-tolls debt via the Department of Transport.

First, the Bill proposes additional funding of R95.5 million for costs related to South Africa’s case against Israel at the ICJ.

This includes R17.3 million for the Presidency, R40 million for the Department of International Relations and Cooperation’s legal proceedings against Israel in the ICJ, and R38.2 million for the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.

In December 2023, South Africa initiated legal proceedings at the International Court of Justice, asserting that Israel’s war in Gaza contravened the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. Israel has vehemently rejected these accusations.

Apart from this, the Bill provides over R5 billion to the Department of Transport for the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) to settle its maturing e-toll-related debt.

The e-toll debt at the end of 2023/24 is listed as R28.937 billion, with almost of all of that – R28.726 billion – listed as “impaired”.

In Sanral’s Integrated Report (IR) for 2024, the figures for 2022/23 have changed, showing R22.2 billion in toll debtors, most of this now impaired. 

What parties said

During the debate on the R95 million funding for South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel, ANC and EFF MPs strongly supported the decision, and condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank.

The DA, although supporting the bill to meet financial obligations, expressed concerns about the cost, arguing that the funds could better serve domestic needs like education and poverty alleviation.

DA leader in the NCOP Dennis Ryder stated that while the case may provide an important platform, the financial burden and the broader implications for South Africa’s international stance needed careful consideration.

The FF Plus opposed the bill, criticising it as a misuse of funds amidst domestic challenges, while the MKP also objected, citing unmet domestic needs and the bill’s failure to address critical issues like gender-based violence and unemployment.

Looking at the allocation for Sanral, ANC MP Regina Molokomme praised the resolution of e-tolls, especially for Gauteng motorists, and credited the Gauteng provincial government for repaying e-toll funds to the national revenue fund.

DA MP Igor Scheurkogel welcomed the movement toward resolving the e-tolls issue but emphasised that the government should not take credit for solving a problem it had created.

He stressed the importance of public participation in such decisions, implying that government actions often miss the mark.

The bill, including sections on transport funding and e-tolls, passed with in the NCOP with 46 votes in favor and 6 against, and will be sent to the president for assent.

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