President wants solution to e-tolls impasse

President Cyril Ramaphosa has mandated Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, working with Finance Minister Tito Mboweni and Gauteng Premier David Makhura, to submit to Cabinet a solution to the impasse around electronic tolling (e-tolls) on Gauteng freeways.

The President said he finds “extremely unfortunate and deeply regrettable” recent public exchanges between Mboweni and the Gauteng Provincial Government on this matter.

The President said such exchanges on social media are unbecoming of their high offices and fail to provide the leadership required in this instance.

The President said he finds “extremely unfortunate and deeply regrettable” recent public exchanges between Mboweni and the Gauteng Provincial Government on this matter.

“The public interest is best served through collaboration, not conflict, and the appropriate platform for leaders to express and reconcile differing views is Cabinet and other coordination forums,” the Presidency said in a statement.

The President has called on the Ministers and Premier to table proposals to Cabinet by the end of August 2019.

While the user-pay principle remains a policy of government, the Presidency said, the electronic tolling system as part of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Plan (GFIP) presents challenges in its current form.

The President expects that the consultations within government over the coming weeks will produce workable outcomes