Shivambu calls ANC Gauteng conference ‘collective incompetence, cowardice’

EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu has condemned the ANC in Gauteng for failing to take action to ensure e-tolls in the province are scrapped.

This after the governing party in the country’s economic hub resolved during its elective conference at the weekend that e-tolls must be scrapped.

ANC Gauteng secretary Jacob Khawe, who was elected at the weekend, was quoted as saying: “This [ANC provincial] conference made the call that e-tolls must go; we say away with e-tolls.”

It was reported that the party said a task team would be set up to look at scrapping the e-tolls.

The ANC in the province decided to take the lead in campaigns for the scrapping of the e-tolls. The party said its campaign action would include peaceful marches to the provincial and national governments.

Shivambu said it had become a habit of the ANC in Gauteng to resolve matters without any action being taken.

He tweeted: “It’s now a habit of the ANC Congresses in Gauteng to take resolution that e-tolls must be scraped, do nothing about it, take another resolution, and will do NOTHING.”

The EFF leader described the party in the province as a “collective incapacity, incompetence and cowardice”.

It’s now a habit of the ANC Congresses in Gauteng to take resolution that eTolls must be scraped, do nothing about it, take another resolution, and will do NOTHING. That’s how they are: collective incapacity, incompetence, and cowardice.

— Floyd Shivambu (@FloydShivambu) July 25, 2018

Shivambu said despite the resolution taken by the party, he was of the view that Gauteng motorists should not be subject to paying e-tolls.

The EFF deputy president called for the scheme’s gantries to be removed.

I fully agree with the view that Congress Resolution or No Congress Resolution, the people of South Africa must not pay eTolls. The demand now should now turn into demanding that those gantries must be removed.

— Floyd Shivambu (@FloydShivambu) July 25, 2018

Meanwhile, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has welcomed the party’s resolution to scrap e-tolls, but noted that it was not the first time that ANC Gauteng had joined forces with those against the scheme.

The organisation said in a statement the move would save road agency Sanral millions of rands.

“Outa calls on the Gauteng ANC, Gauteng Premier David Makhura and the Gauteng legislature to go beyond the talking apply pressure on national government to scrap e-tolls and withdraw all pending legal action, to bring an end to this illegitimate scheme,” the organisation said.

Last year, Sanral was forced to scrap a R3.6-billion debt owed by motorists for e-tolls. The majority of road users have refused to pay the tax.

Makhura has been calling for e-tolls to be scrapped since his inauguration in 2014 while also raising the issue with President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is said to be seriously considering doing away with the system entirely.

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