While president Jacob Zuma did not bring up the\u00a0controversial\u00a0e-tolls system in the\u00a0State of the Nation Address to Parliament on Thursday (13 February), he says\u00a0it should not have been politicised.<\/p>\n
Sapa reported that when the president was asked to comment on the e-tolls controversy on Friday (14\u00a0February), he said the tolls were essential to the development of South Africa’s economic heartland, and joked that they were not necessary, for example, in Nkandla – his home village in rural KwaZulu-Natal.<\/p>\n
\u201cGauteng is the heart of our economy and it must develop more than any other place. This matter was discussed for a long time\u2026 if you are in Gauteng, if you want the economy to develop quicker, you must create the conditions for it.”<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the matter has been politicised, unfortunately, beyond the level it should be,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Last year, Zuma sparked controversy when he spoke in support of the e-tolls, saying: \u201cWe can’t think like Africans, in Africa, generally. We are in Johannesburg, this is Johannesburg. It’s not some national road in Malawi.\u201d<\/p>\n
His spokesman Mac Maharaj apologised on Zuma’s behalf for the comment.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, the president voiced his\u00a0concern about incorrect billing by the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) for e-tolls in Gauteng.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are often told electronic things don\u2019t commit mistakes. I think it is unacceptable because it is causing an unnecessary problem,\u201d he said in an interview.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t then bill people wrongly. It is a matter that needs to be fixed, and be fixed very quickly because it undermines an efficient system.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said Sanral had to deal with the problem.<\/p>\n
E-tags<\/strong><\/p>\n Sanral, meanwhile, dismissed claims by the\u00a0Opposition for Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) that as many 71% of\u00a0motorists\u00a0have not bought an e-tag,\u00a0the electronic device which enables motorists a concession\u00a0for Sanral\u2019s e-toll system.<\/p>\n Outa claimed that it conducted research which revealed that seven in 10 of a sample size of 2,700 vehicles \u2013 counted during peak hour traffic at nine different on\/off ramps during early February \u2013 did not have e-tags fitted.<\/p>\n Responding to Outa\u2019s claims,\u00a0Vusi Mona, GM of communications at Sanral said: \u201cWe have more than one million e-tag registrations with a weekly average of new registrations of 35,000 to 45,000.<\/p>\n \u201cThis will definitely be higher during some weeks when key account holders come on board. This comes to approximately 66% and not 29% as stated by Outa,\u201d Mona said.<\/p>\n Sanral: 45,000 e-tag registrations a week<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Wealth created through the Internet: Zuma<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nReporting with Sapa<\/h3>\n
More on e-tolls and Jacob Zuma<\/h3>\n