Cape Town - While Finance Minister Tito Mboweni's mid-term budget speech government's stance that the controversial e-toll system is not going to be abolished in the immediate future, South Africans have expressed their determination to either boycott the tolling system or continue lobbying for its abolition.
"Cabinet has considered several options to resolve the impasse over the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project. Government has decided to retain the user pay principle. While there will be a further dispensation and value‐added services, compliance will also be strengthened," Mboweni said in his speech on Wednesday.
"Not paying your tolls has already led to our roads deteriorating. We have been unable to maintain the network. I urge the nation to please pay your bills. We need to build a culture of payment, as government services can only be sustainable if all of us that can pay for services, do so."
A number of prominent citizens spoke out against e-tolling immediately after Mboweni, among them social activist Yusuf Abramjee, who posted on Twitter: "Let’s stand united on e-tolls. Let’s not allow Tito Mboweni, Fikile Mbalula and others to bulldoze their way...Gauteng must stand up and say NO to e-tolls. We support (Gauteng premier and senior ANC member) David Makhura on this issue! NO means NO!!!"
EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu told PowerFM: "We must continue the boycott, they cannot jail all of us".
Ordinary citizens joined their condemnation of the hated tolling system, with dozens posting their views on Twitter.
Here are some of their comments:
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/tito_mboweni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tito_mboweniwe are not paying Etolls. Not today & not tomorrow. Go recoup the billions lost to corruption, nepotism, bribery & gvt misrule done by your comrades and corporate buds in the past 15 years and start delivering services. We wont pay for your mess.. #etolls #auta
— Lefa (@lefamorobe)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/etolls?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#etolls
— Nontobeko Nxumalo (@NontsDu)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/etolls?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#etolls #MTBPS2019 @OUTASA
— GiNO 🇿🇦 (@GiNO768)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/etolls?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#etolls-tolls do not make noise to us.
We won't pay e-tolls , they must be boycotted at all costs.
— Buhle Nzimande (@nzinzimaweni)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/etolls?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#etollsto & from work. Yall @GovernmentZA can deduct my #etolls from my TAX. Chat to SARS!
I won't pay🙌
— Black & Blessed ❤❤✌ (@Mama_Bridgie)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/TitoMboweni?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TitoMboweni #etolls #Budget2020
— Nozuko Nozi Mzalisi (@Zukimzalisi)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/Treasury?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Treasury #etolls #titomboweni
— Vusi Ntuli (@ntulivf)
IOL