CC image courtesy of Dylan Harbour.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s opposition party, has submitted a fresh legal challenge against the government’s e-tolling plans in Gauteng in a bid to delay the controversial project.
Mmusi Maimane, the DA’s premier candidate for Gauteng, said today papers had been submitted against President Jacob Zuma, the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, the Minister of Transport and the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL).
These have been handed to the High Court and are hoping to take the case to the Constitutional Court if it is successful. The DA ultimately seek for the e-tolling bill to be declared unconstitutional.
Zuma signed the e-tolling bill in September, but opposition politicians and pressure groups such as the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (OUTA) do not believe the e-tags system is ready to be implemented.
Speaking this morning, Maimane said: “We are of the view that the ‘e-tolling’ Bill was incorrectly passed by Parliament and signed into law by President Jacob Zuma.”
The DA argue e-tolling should have had more consultation and debate at a local level and bean dealt with by the National Assemby and the National Council of Provinces.
“We believe the Transport Laws and Related Matters Amendment Bill (e-tolling Bill) was wrongfully tagged as a national competency to be dealt with exclusively at a national level by Parliament (called a section 75 Bill),” Maimane added.
“However, the tolling of roads impacts on many factors such as urban planning, public transport and traffic regulations – all of which are the competency of provincial governments and municipalities.”
