E-toll fight not over: Cosatu

·22 May 2014

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has warned that the struggle for the eradication of the e-tolling system is not over.

The union has pledged to redouble its efforts to fight against the “commodification” of public roads.

The Gauteng body of Cosatu said it was concerned by the planned extension of the e-tolling system to Kwa-Zulu Natal Province.

SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) said on Wednesday (21 May), that the province is set to have electronic tolling on the N2 and the N3 by November this year.

Unlike in Gauteng however, it would not be an additional toll but simply an alternative means of collecting existing tolls, the road agency said.

“We have warned the entire country before, and are now proven correct, that Sanral has the intention and plans to roll-out the e-tolling system to the entire country,” Cosatu said in a statement.

“Their denial that they are just providing optional payment methods is neither here nor there.”

“We will not be surprised if Sanral will very soon also deny that they their name is Sanral given their continued denial that they have no intention to roll out the system to the entire country,” the union said.

“We are of the view that Sanral has became a liability to the implementation of the radical phase of the National Democratic Revolution. We think that the sooner our leaders of the alliance notice such, the better for the revolution.”

“Sanral is hell-bent on destroying the movement with its introduction and implementation of the neo-liberal tendency in our country,” Cosatu said.

The union said that an 11% reduction of the electorate support for the ANC in Gauteng in the recent elections was partly as a result of the e-tolling system in the Province.

“We know others in the movement have denied, and would continue to deny, this fact,” Cosatu said.

“We are going to raise this matter very sharply in our next Central Executive Committee and further call for the adoption of a campaign for the disbandment of Sanral in the country.”