The Gauteng e-tolling case has been ruled a matter of urgency by the Pretoria High Court on Wednesday (25 April 2012) while protestors and organizers rally behind the opposing parties, Sapa reports.<\/p>\n
A matter of urgency<\/strong><\/p>\n A proper case of urgency had been made by the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa)<\/a>, the High Court in Pretoria ruled on Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cThe matter will proceed,\u201d Judge Bill Prinsloo said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe widespread public interest and the protesting\u2026 should persuade me to hear the matter.\u201d<\/p>\n Prinsloo said lawyers for the SA National Road Agency Limited<\/a>, National Treasury, the transport minister and the Gauteng transport MEC did not persuade him that the Outa application was an abuse of the court.<\/p>\n Slow start to protests<\/strong><\/p>\n A handful protesters from Cosatu<\/a> trade unions marched along Church Street in Pretoria in a protest against the e-tolls.<\/p>\n They proceeded to the National Museum head office, singing and dancing to music booming from big speakers on a truck.<\/p>\n National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union official Klaas Manamela said the protest was also against changes at museums.<\/p>\n “Management at museums implemented re-structuring without consulting the union. We are stakeholders and should have been consulted by the arrogant management.”<\/p>\n The protesters were to march to the transport department after noon to highlight their opposition to e-tolling, Manamela said.<\/p>\n Gauteng chairman of the Congress of SA Trade Unions, Phutas Tseki<\/a>, said the protesters’ loyalty to the ruling African National Congress should not be questioned.<\/p>\n “We are not in opposition to the ANC. Whatever action we are taking against e-tolling and this museum, we are doing that because we love the ANC.”<\/p>\n About 100 protesters waved placards saying, “Do not buy e-tags” and “Don’t register with Sanral”.<\/p>\n Tseki said: “It cannot happen that we pay these tolls. These tolls are against the freedom of movement promised in the Freedom Charter. We want to be allowed to move across the province without paying anything.”<\/p>\n Afriforum enters the fray<\/strong><\/p>\n Afrikaner lobby group AfriForum<\/a> applied to the High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday to be admitted as a friend of the court in an action against e-tolling.<\/p>\n Judge Bill Prinsloo said the body had to show the court it had an interest in the matter.<\/p>\n AfriForum Lawyer Greta Engelbrecht said AfriForum had been concerned about e-tolling from the outset.<\/p>\n “AfriForum has 36,000 members, of which 45 percent reside in Gauteng and are liable to use the roads. AfriForum represents their interests.”<\/p>\n Engelbrecht said the group should be given the chance to make submissions to the court that were relevant and useful.<\/p>\n “It must be something novel… not what the applicants have already said. AfriForum can do this as it draws attention to the publication of tariffs,” she said.<\/p>\n AfriForum was asking the court to consider whether the publication of the e-toll tariffs on April 13 complied with Section 27 of the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) Act.<\/p>\n It wanted the court to look at whether the classification of vehicles was warranted.<\/p>\n Engelbrecht said AfriForum was saying “enough is enough”.<\/p>\n Earlier, Prinsloo ruled that the Opposition to Urban Tolling Association (Outa) had proved that the matter was urgent.<\/p>\n Outa wants to stop Sanral from levying and collecting toll fees. It also wants the declaration of parts of the N1, N3, N4, N12, and R21 as toll roads to be set aside.<\/p>\n E-toll court proceedings head into day two<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n E-tolls an unfinished business<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n E-tolling to feel Cosatu\u2019s \u201cmother of all protests\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nRelated articles:<\/h3>\n