Fate of e-tolls on the table, but yet to be approved – Mbalula

South Africa’s Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula said a decision regarding the controversial e-tolling has been made, but it has to be approved by cabinet.

Mbalula was addressing the media at the Grasmere toll on Thursday.

Amid uncertainty on whether e-tolls will be scrapped or not, motorists in Gauteng who do pay their e-toll accounts are already paying a higher tariff after the South African National Road Agency Limited (Sanral) increased the price by 5% in line with the consumer price index (CPI).

Mbalula said, the transport department will communicate the fate of e-tolls.

“I can assure you that there is already a decision on the table which we must take to cabinet and then from there we will come to you and tell you what is the final decision on the e-tolls. So I hope we can finalise that before June with the minister of finance.” 

Mbalula said impulsive decisions on e-tolls can affect the finances of the country.

“You can see in terms of how it has affected the balance sheet of Sanral, it is devastating. People are not paying for e-tolls, e-tolls are in a stalemate, so we need to resolve that.”

“The decision we are going to take has got an impact in terms of the financing of roads in the Republic of South Africa. The culture that we don’t pay for anything, it won’t assist the country, Mbalula said.

Mbalula said the final decision must be a decision that will not have a devastating impact on the country.

Stefanie Fick, executive director of the accountability division at the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) told The Citizen that government should accept that the e-tolls project was unsuccessful, as the compliance rate currently stood at 15%, adding that Sanral was funded by government to deal with maintain roads across the country.

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