Politicians in the Western Cape have united under an unlikely agreement to oppose the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) plan to implement the controversial e-tolling in the province.
The controversial N1/N2 Winelands Toll Highway Project has united the likes of Robin Carlisle of the Democratic Alliance (DA), Marius Fransman of the African National Congress (ANC) and Tony Ehrenreich of Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu).
The three major provincial politicians have reached a rare and surprising agreement in opposition against SANRAL’s proposal.
The rare agreement apparently became clear following the launch of the DA’s campaign to unite voters in the Western Cape against the ANC before next year’s general election.
“One thing is indisputable – this is an ANC toll road. We, the people of the Western Cape, must treat that election as a referendum on the toll road. Every vote for the ANC in the April 2014 election will be a vote for the toll road,” the Cape Argus/IOL quoted Carlisle, transport and public works MEC, as saying.
Carlisle added: “Every vote against the ANC, regardless of for which party, will be a vote against the toll road.”
Fransman has been accused by the DA of “a particularly deafening silence” regarding the issue. However, Fransman said the ANC is also against the toll plan and has promised to “engage with the relevant stakeholders to make this position clear”.
Carlisle maintains this plan was developed by the national transport department while the ANC previously governed the Western Cape
Ehrenreich, a known detractor of the DA, had added Cosatu’s voice in the Western Cape to the opposition of e-tolling.
Carlisle added: “At no time had the voters of the province asked for these toll roads, and at no time were they consulted until, far down the process, a limited public participation occurred.”
“Every single submission received in that public participation was against tolling,” said Carlisle in conclusion.
