Democratic Alliance members staged a picket outside the office of Gauteng Premier David Makhura, calling for a provincial referendum on e-tolls.
Simmonds Street in Johannesburg was blocked by DA members, all in blue, who attended the picket on 4 March. Bystanders were visibly impressed with the rally.
During the picket, DA Gauteng Provincial Leader John Moodey accompanied by DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Transport Neil Campbell, Solly Msimanga and Khume Ramulifho said enough is enough with e-tolls.
Moodey said the main purpose of the picket was to remind Premier Makhura to keep his promises.
“In the run-up to his State of the Province Address (SOPA), the Premier’s office invited Gauteng’s people to send their ideas and suggestions to an email address especially created for that purpose.
“The DA encouraged the public to use this opportunity to ask the Premier for a referendum, and to copy their email to us. The response was overwhelming, and within a week, we received thousands of requests for a referendum,” said Moodey.
He also said, “Despite this, and so many other calls to scrap e-tolls, the Premier and the ANC insist that e-tolls stay, but promise to bring people relief with a complicated hybrid funding model.”
Moodey informed that the hybrid model forces people to pay in one way or the other.
Meanwhile Msimanga said he won’t pay for e-tolls, “I keep getting bills for cars I don’t even have, I am not going to pay the e-tolls.”
Campbell also agreed.
“E-tolls are expensive and the poor are the ones who are going to pay the most,” he said.
