The African National Congress (ANC) has proved it is “indeed the party of e-tolling” after it used its majority to pass the e-toll bill yesterday, according to Elza van Lingen, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).
“I called on the Chairperson of the committee, Mtikeni Sibande, to allow for extensive public hearings in all nine provinces before finalising the bill in the committee, given the significant public interest. This was again refused without sufficient reasons being provided,” said van Lingen.
“The ANC proceeded to use its majority to push through this bill, which will now be sent to the NCOP to be debated and voted on. The DA remains vehemently opposed to the bill in its entirety, which will allow for the construction of toll-roads without consultation of the public and will ultimately hit the poor the hardest.”
HumanIPO reported last month of an unlikely political agreement when ANC Western Cape caucus leader Tony Ehrenreich said the ANC is also against the e-toll plan in the province. However, the DA claimed they could prove otherwise.
Yesterday the Western Cape High Court granted the City of Cape Town an interdict to halt e-tolling plans for the N1 and N2 highways in the province, pending a review.
Van Lingen described the granted interdict as “a great victory for the DA-led City of Cape Town and the DA in the Western Cape who have fought relentlessly against the burden which unnecessary toll roads will create on the poorest and most vulnerable communities in Cape Town.”
She added her party will continue the fight against e-tolling in parliament and will also do “everything possible” to ensure the bill is rejected in the NCOP.
