South Africa could \u201cbecome the first country in the world to attempt to criminalise over a million of its own citizens for their conscientious objections\u201d.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s according to an Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) statement on Monday\u201a which warned of \u201cserious consequences for the legitimacy of the state\u201d if it accedes to a request from the SA National Roads Agency Ltd (Sanral) to withhold vehicle licences for outstanding e-toll bills.<\/p>\n
It said the request\u201a made by Sanral CEO Nazir Alli to a parliamentary portfolio Committee last Thursday\u201a \u201cis clearly part of their coercive strategy to get motorists to start paying e-tolls or face the possibility of criminal prosecution for driving without a vehicle licence\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is Outa’s opinion that if Sanral is able to convince Parliament to approve their regulatory changes\u201a this could lead South Africa to become the first country in the world to attempt to criminalie over a million of its own citizens for their conscientious objections to the unlawful and irrational conduct of an organ of state\u201a\u201d said chairman Wayne Duvenage.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe maintain our position that the e-toll scheme and the decision to toll Gauteng freeways was an unlawful and irrational decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
Duvenage also questioned how Sanral was allowed to declare R6.1-billion of \u201coutstanding revenue as declarable and achievable\u201d.<\/p>\n
This figure was gleaned from Sanral\u2019s released annual report which\u201a Outa said\u201a made \u201cclear that Sanral was only able to collect a paltry R1.1-billion of the more than R9.95-billion it had invoiced motorists\u2026during the financial period ending March 31\u201a 2015\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cSanral’s annual report indicates that only R3.8-billion of the R9.95-billion that Sanral had invoiced motorists – 38% – meets the accounting standards as declarable revenue\u201a\u201d Outa said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe difference of R6.1-billion consists of e-toll revenues charged at the exhorbitant \u2018alternative tariffs\u2019 which were intended to coerce motorists to sign up at the lower e-tag rates\u201a but which clearly did not have the desired impact.\u201d<\/p>\n
Said Duvenage: \u201cNo accounting firm worth its salt will allow a business to reflect 71% of outstanding revenue\u201a a lot of which is over a year old\u201a as being achievable.\u201d<\/p>\n
E-tolls collapsed a long time ago: Outa<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n E-tolls on the verge of collapsing: report<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n ANC Youth League wants e-tolls scrapped<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n