The Democratic Alliance (DA) announced today it will contribute ZAR1 million (US$101,000) towards the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance’s (OUTA) pending court case against e-tolling.
HumanIPO reported earlier this week OUTA needed the funds to cover the legal costs for court action against the South African Roads Agency Limited’s (SANRAL) plans to implement e-tolling in Gauteng and South Africa at large.
OUTA needed to come up with the funds before June 21, and the DA, which has also been campaigning against e-tolling, have stumped up.
Helen Zille, leader of the DA, said: “The DA is committed to fighting e-tolls on major commuter highways. If the government’s e-toll levies go ahead at the end of this month, they will hit poor and middle income South Africans the hardest.”
Zille said a person earning an income of ZAR6,000 (US$604) and commuting with their own car to and from work every day could end up having to pay more than ZAR500 every month in toll charges.
She added: “E-tolls will also increase food prices and transport costs for other basic goods.
“We have fought the e-toll bill (formally and deceptively known as the Transport Laws and Related Matters Amendment Bill) in parliament, winning several major victories in delaying the implementation of urban e-tolls and exposing the government for its cruel disregard of poor South Africans.”
Zille added the DA has called for a referendum on e-tolling in Gauteng because it is the belief of the party that South Africans should be given the opportunity to speak for themselves on whether they want e-tolling or not.
Wayne Duvenage, OUTA chairperson, said the public response to OUTA’s plea for funds had “simply been overwhelming. By close of business on Thursday at 17:00, some 27 hours after our press conference, we received over ZAR120,000 (US$12,000) and things were looking really good.”
Duvenage added: “Four hours later, as the overnight interbanking process updated around 21:15, I could hardly believe my eyes as the SMS notifications sent my phone ablaze with donations pouring in.”
He said by the time the SMS notifications stopped, OUTA received ZAR540,000 (US54,300) from almost 800 entries into the alliance’s bank account.
