ANC officials in Johannesburg have been encouraging other members not to pay their e-toll bills at organised meetings, according to a report in the Star Newspaper.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that no one is going to be arrested or jailed for failing to pay,\u201d one ANC official, who did not want to be named, told the paper.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the issue is still alive at the time that the local government elections come, it would be a surprise to all of us, because the system is totally against the strategic position of the ANC to attain its objectives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another official said that they believed that e-tolling would reverse the gains the political party has made since 1994 in the country’s economic province, the Saturday Star reported.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso, it is a bad idea to toll urban areas where there are majority frequent users inside sub-urban areas,\u201d he said. \u201cThe tolled roads cover a significant proportion where our people live and do business, especially the black population.\u201d<\/p>\n
“We can\u2019t be arrogant and not to listen to the people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s our own creation. We\u2019ve got to find a way of dealing with its negative impact,\u201d said Jolidee Matongo, ANC Joburg region spokesman. \u201cIt\u2019s a real issue that bothers many of our members. It will ultimately affect us going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
Public hearings on the socio-economic impact of the e-tolls were being heard in Midrand in September. The panel would focus on the implications and perceptions of financing the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) with e-tolls.<\/p>\n
To date, the majority of participants in the panel review have spoken out against e-tolling, including the ANCYL in Gauteng.<\/p>\n
ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe, recently rejected reports that he allegedly told Sanral and the transport department to snub the e-toll review panel set up by the Gauteng provincial government.<\/p>\n
This came after Transport Minister Dipuo Peters said the national government would not scrap or review the user-pay system as a funding mechanism for urban roads, in response to the 15-person panel set up by Gauteng Premier David Makhura.<\/p>\n
The findings of the hearings are scheduled to be released in November.<\/p>\n
ANC split over e-toll review: report<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Provinces reject fuel levy for e-tolls: report<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n