Msimanga writes an open letter to Makhura over e-tolls

Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng premier candidate and city of Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga has written an open letter to the province’s premier, David Makhura, calling on him to immediately announce to the public that the e-toll contract will not be renewed this year.

Msimanga writes that from his travels throughout the province he has learned that Gautengers have become disillusioned by the implementation of the e-tolls without broader public consultation.

The DA premier candidate further writes that the province’s residents cannot afford the e-tolls due to the rising cost of living which necessitates for them to be scrapped.

Msimanga accused the governing African National Congress (ANC) in Gauteng – led by Makhura as chair of its provincial executive committee (PEC) – of using the e-tolls for electioneering to “win back the votes lost during the last local government election”.

ALSO READ: Makhura sticks to his guns on scrapping e-tolls

Of concern for Msimanga is that Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has endorsed e-tolls, a sentiment echoed by Transport Minister Blade Nzimande, while the ANC in the province is “singing a different tune for the sake of votes”.

“The question remains how will the province reconcile its differences with the mother body, which is singing from a completely different hymn sheet?”

Responding to questions in the National Assembly yesterday about contradictory messages coming from the government on e-tolls, Nzimande told MPs that the ANC will “thoroughly moer” its opposition in next year’s elections.

Read Msimanga’s entire letter below:

Premier Makhura, your e-tolls confusion will catch-up with you at the ballot box.

As I have travelled the length and breadth of this province during my Listening Tour, it has become more evident that the electorate has become disillusioned with the failing ANC.

One of the reasons for this is the e-tolling system that has been implemented without consulting the broader public in Gauteng.

As we head towards the 2019 general elections, e-tolls has once again reared its ugly head and has become a topic of widespread discussion.

What has become clear is that Gauteng residents do not have the means to pay for e-tolls due to the rising cost of living, which has since been exacerbated by the recent increase in VAT. The people of Gauteng and the country have been taxed and burdened by years of economic mismanagement by the current government.

As was seen during 2014 and 2016, e-tolls are once again being used as an electioneering tool by the government to try and win back the votes lost during the last local government election.

Most importantly, it was the failing ANC that conceived e-tolls, created e-tolls, constructed e-tolls, and continues to charge people for this unwanted system.

This system is literally taking thousands of rands from people’s pockets, from businesses, and from people oppressed by poverty, every day through a failing ANC government programme.

What is worse is that the new finance minister, Tito Mboweni, has clearly endorsed e-tolls. While you in Gauteng are singing a different tune, for the sake of votes, saying that e-tolls have no place in the province. At the same time the minister of transport, Blade Nzimande, has echoed the same sentiments as the minister of finance.

The harsh reality of the matter is that the only way to end e-tolls is to not renew the contract that is coming to an end in December this year.

The question remains how will the province reconcile its differences with the mother body, which is singing from a completely different hymn sheet?

The DA has on numerous occasions declared that e-tolls have no place in Gauteng and we will continue to fight this battle.

During questions posed in the National Assembly by our MPs, it was revealed that the bulk of the money collected by e-toll agent, Kapsch Austria, leaves the shores of South Africa and very little is then left for the maintenance of our roads.

Mr Premier, if you are serious about ending e-tolls, you will act now and publicly commit to not renewing the contract this year.

Simply marching on your own government is not enough, the time has come for you to put your money where your mouth is and act now.

The ball is now in your court and only you can influence the ruling party to end e-tolls now as you have rightly acknowledged that this system is not working.

The fact, Mr David Makhura, is that you are fast building a reputation for grand deception. You can’t lie to all of the people, all of the time.

The people of Gauteng await your response to these issues, not to me, but to these issues.

Ultimately, as the DA we are committed to getting rid of e-tolls when the people of Gauteng vote for change in 2019.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

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