Protesters dressed in red shirts gathered outside the Gauteng provincial legislature building today to campaign against implementation of e-tolling next month.
Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane gave a State of the Province address, but despite the presence of members from the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) did not mention the controversial project which has been dragged through the courts for the past year.
HumanIPO reported in January the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (OUTA) had been granted leave to appeal, but Ben Martin, the South African Transport Minister, has since said e-tolling could be operational by the end of March.
The e-toll bill is expected to be debated on March 5 and could be implemented within 14 days.
The government and South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) have said it is necessary to pay for the multi-million rand upgrades to the Gauteng freeway network, but groups such as COSATU and OUTA believe the public have not been properly consulted.
