The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has instituted the next round of its civil challenge against the e-toll system, submitting its responding pleas to the summonses issued for outstanding e-toll payments against Outa\u2019s contributing supporters.<\/p>\n
Effectively, these summonses and pleas will form\u00a0the \u201ctest case\u201d\u00a0and should set a precedent as to the future of e-tolls in South Africa.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe regard the e-toll system as unjust and illegal for a number of reasons,\u201d said Ben Theron, Outa\u2019s Chief Operating Officer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have gathered our facts and prepared our case over the past few years, so as to present compelling arguments and merits which will speak for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some of the points Outa are arguing include:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe e-toll fight has been a long journey and we value the support received from the public in this battle, however, the real fight is now only beginning,\u201d said Wayne Duvenage, Chairman of Outa.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe matter is being fought on two fronts: the constitutional matters of the scheme\u2019s introduction; and the technical matters and merits of each specific case.\u201d<\/p>\n
Duvenage notes that this, in turn, leads to each case being different and Sanral will not be able to claim a precedent for any case it wins.<\/p>\n
“The road ahead will become messy and at the end of the day, Sanral will not be able to convince its masters or investors that this collection process is efficient or effective.”<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce again, Outa calls on the authorities to allow sanity to prevail by scrapping the e-toll decision and move forward with society to find the right solution to service the debt raised for the Gauteng freeway upgrade,\u201d said Duvenage.<\/p>\n
In lieu of the constitutional matters raised in the plea of this first case by Outa, organisations and people with an interest in those constitutional matters, are invited to tender for admission as amicus curiae (interested parties) to the e-toll case.<\/p>\n