South Africans refuse to pay R1 billion E-toll bill

A recent reply to a DA Parliamentary question has shown that the people of South Africa continue to resoundingly reject the imposition of E-tolls in Gauteng. Of the 1 134 834 unaudited registered and active accounts identified on the E-tolls network, as at 31 May 2014, overdue payments of over three months amount to R156 623 567. Amounts owed by road users dating less than 90 days are said to amount to R995 362 885. That means road users have refused to pay over a billion rands worth of E-tolls payments. Considering the system only came online in early December of 2013, the level of overdue payments act as yet another indicator that motorists’ on South Africa’s roads continue to reject the system. This taken together with the so called “review” of the e-tolling project by Gauteng Premier David Makhura – itself an admission of a failing system – Parliament must give expression to the South Africans wishes and push for the complete review of the E-toll scheme, with the view of implementing its dissolution. To allow the system to continue to function as it has not only serves to ignore the massive public outcry over E-tolls but also callously ignores the added economic burden placed on the already strained finances of South Africans. The DA will continue to lead the fight against E-tolls in Parliament on behalf of the people of South Africa.

Ses’khona in alleged pay for jobs scandal

The DA will submit Parliamentary questions to Minister of Transport, Dipuo Peters, demanding clarity on the alleged pay for jobs scandal between Metrorail and Ses’khona People’s Right Movement. Today it is reported that Ses’khona, operating from Bridgetown in Athlone, is offering vulnerable unemployed people jobs at Metrorail in exchange for joining Ses’khona at a cost of R25. This comes after the DA has already laid charges against Ses’khona for illegally selling plots of land to occupiers in Lwandle Settlement. It is reported that the organisation illegally made R330 000 from the scam. It is alleged by Andile Lili, a representative of Ses’khona’s, that “We went to Metrorail with a plan and they accepted it.” Already, it is claimed that hundreds of people have fallen victim to the scam. Ses’khona is essentially selling access to jobs in government entities. This is illegal. The Minister must provide clarity on – • Whether a meeting between Metrorail officials and Ses’kona did indeed occur; • Whether an agreement between Ses’khona and Metrorail was reached; • The nature of the alleged agreement between Metrorail and Ses’khona; • The nature of the project which Ses’khona claims will “create 20 000 jobs”. Metrorail must clarify what is going on here. If these allegations turn out to be true, the DA will lay additional charges against Ses’khona for their misrepresentation and extortion of the unemployed. The DA will continue to fight against those who seek to take advantage of society’s most vulnerable members.

The latest SANRAL tactic will not scare the public

The news that the NPA has been appointed by SANRAL to prosecute persons who have not paid for their tolls is yet another slap in the face of the tax payer. This latest action by SANRAL is yet another intimidatory tactic against the public. This raw and draconian tactic clearly demonstrates that SANRAL is not taking Gauteng Premier David Makhura’s e-tolls review panel seriously. Even if the Premier does not have this competence, surely the correct step would’ve been to at least wait for the panel’s report which is to be completed in November. Currently, there are well over 1 million people who are going to have to be prosecuted. I have “inside” information that the NPA is carefully selecting only a certain number of winnable cases. If this is indeed the case, it will confirm that this is indeed another exercise of intimidation against the public. I tend to believe my inside source after reading that only 2 prosecutors have been appointed. Obviously they would not be able to handle a million cases. The public will not be intimidated with these prosecutors. They have stood fast with the peaceful resistance campaign. They will not stop now.

We have a plan to oppose the e-Tolls

By far the biggest transport issue presently on the lips of South Africans is e-Tolls which the public almost unanimously rejects. This issue has been handled poorly from the very beginning. The voters of Gauteng have been making their feelings felt with their peaceful resistance campaign by not signing onto the e-Tag system. Their feelings were clearly further demonstrated when they reduced the ANC’s support from 64,4% in the 2009 Election to 53,59% in this year’s Election. The ANC is Gauteng is now desperate to show its voters that it is on their side on this issue and is now trying to fool them into thinking that they are doing something positive for them there. The partly failed SANRAL bond auction on 2nd July which only raised R275 million out of the total bids of R465 million shows that investors are nervous. Gauteng Premier David Makhura’s announcement of the Gauteng Provincial Government review of the E-tolls system is nothing more than a public relations stunt. The E-tolls system is governed by national legislation, therefore the only body that is empowered to legitimately review the system and make pronouncements on its future is Parliament, through the Portfolio Committee of Transport. The review panel must therefore be a Parliamentary Committee. Why is Minister Peters remaining silent on this while Premier Makhura continues with this charade? The DA is calling on the Minister to show leadership, and support the need for the review of E-tolls to take place in Parliament. The terms of reference for the Gauteng E-tolls Review Panel announced by the Premier clearly indicates that the panel is not empowered to take any action against E-tolls. The people of South Africa need to see action on this issue, and not just a “talk-shop” in Gauteng that has no legal powers. The cost of this Review Panel will take public funds away from other critical needs, yet it can make no meaningful changes to the E-tolls scheme. The DA will continue this fight against E-tolls, which are an economic burden and were imposed upon South Africans without any meaningful consultation. I am currently preparing a Private Members Bill to Parliament that will make the process of imposing any E-tolls in future both consultative and democratic. My Private Members Bill will amend the Transport and Related Matters Amendment Act, which allows E-tolls, in the following ways: 1. It will limit the Minister’s and SANRAL’s power to declare a National toll-road, by making the decision subject to the outcome of extensive public consultation, including television and radio advertisements on all major channels and stations at prime-time; simple objection documents and forms easily accessible to the public; newspaper advertisements and signage on the actual road which advertises the proposed tolling; 2. It will impose reasonable thresholds of objections received at which the Minister must request the President to declare a referendum wherein the people of South Africa will have the vote on declaration of the toll-road; 3. It will impose upon the Minister and SANRAL the obligation to take into account the comments of the Premier of the Province in which the road is located, as well as the affected mayor and to make the decision to declare a toll-road only in consultation with the Premier and after consultation with the relevant Mayors through whose municipal boundaries the road may pass; 4. It will impose upon the Minister and SANRAL the obligation to identify and designate an alternative non-tolled route to every road sought to be declared a toll-road, of reasonably comparable distance. Further, given that the fuel levy scheme is directly related to the implementation of E-tolls, included in my Private Members Bill, I will move for: 5. An amendment to the National Roads Act of 1971, to include the provision that all monies raised from the fuel levy must be ring-fenced for the purpose of road construction and maintenance only. Currently the National Roads Act, allows the government to collect a fuel levy from every litre of fuel sold, and to add that to the national fiscus and spend it on any budget item. Over R340-billion has been collected through this levy since 1998. Our position is that the fuel levy ought to be directed solely to road construction and maintenance, which will further negate the need for E-tolls. As I stated, the public’s peaceful resistance campaign is working. SANRAL is now more nervous than ever. This is evident from the numerous SANRAL branding and vehicles utilised at roadblocks in Gauteng conducted by other traffic enforcement agencies. Motorists are being intimidated to buy e-tags. This is being done without any legal basis to do so. I have already written to the Head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), Robert McBride, to request an urgent investigation into the utilisation of the traffic enforcement agencies by SANRAL for the purpose of coercing motorists to purchase e-tags. The DA opposes the abuse of policing services - which should be spending their time upholding the law and keeping South Africans safe. It appears that SANRAL’s abuse isn’t stopping here. The Minister needs to tell Parliament and indeed the citizens of South Africa if SANRAL still intends to pursue the prosecution and criminalization of people who have not paid their e-toll bills. To do this will only serve to aggravate the implicit conflict between Government and the public.

DA submits questions on assignment of NPA prosecutors for E-tolling

The DA will submit questions to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Michael Masutha, and the Minister of Transport, Dipuo Peters, to determine the full extent of the NPA’s assignment of two prosecutors to investigate whether the conduct of some motorists constitute an offence. We will also specifically inquire into whether SANRAL unilaterally requested this involvement. The DA is concerned by this latest development, specifically given the changing context of the e-tolling debate. Just last week, Gauteng Premier David Makhura, announced a so-called ‘review’ of the e-tolling project. The DA has also made clear that it will seek to amend the national legislation in Parliament. This development is specifically important in light of the ANC’s rethinking of the controversial project. Surely, it would have made better sense to only make such an assignment after the supposed review was complete, and all parliamentary processes initiated by the DA were finalised? We look forward to this clarification from the respective ministers. Without it, we risk allowing a perception of an attempt to intimidate motorists into buying into a system they have so overwhelmingly rejected.

Enough Failure – ANC government must introduce effective transport reforms

Allow me to start off by thanking the Minister and Deputy Minister for the time that they spent with the Portfolio Committee when it analysed the budget. It’s most unusual for a Minister to spend much, if any time, with the Committee. Thank you for respecting the important oversight role that we have. However, I query whether in future our Minister and Deputy Minister will be as present, as in her Department’s own Annual Performance Plan it indicates that spending on travel and subsistence is expected to increase to R31,8 million in the 2016/17 financial year, and I quote from the plan, “as a result of the minister and deputy minister’s needing to travel more often”. The budgeted amount for the Minister and Deputy Minister’s travel could cover 90 857 potholes! The mind boggles at where the Minister would need to travel so much to considering the many urgent and pressing issues she must attend to right here at home. By far the biggest transport issue presently on the lips of South Africans is the e-Tolls issue which the public almost unanimously rejects. This issue has been handled poorly from the very beginning. The voters of Gauteng have been making their feelings felt with their peaceful resistance campaign by not signing onto the e-Tag system. Their feelings were clearly further demonstrated when they reduced the ANC’s support from 64,4% in the 2009 Election to 53,59% in this year’s Election. The ANC is Gauteng is now desperate to show its voters that it is on their side on this issue and is now trying to fool them into thinking that they are doing something positive for them here. The partly failed SANRAL bond auction on 2nd July which only raised R275 million out of the total bids of R465 million shows that investors are nervous. Gauteng Premier David Makhura’s announcement of the Gauteng Provincial Government review of the E-tolls system is nothing more than a public relations stunt. The E-tolls system is governed by national legislation, therefore the only body that is empowered to legitimately review the system and make pronouncements on its future is Parliament, through the Portfolio Committee of Transport. The review panel must therefore be a Parliamentary Committee. Why is Minister Peters remaining silent on this while Premier Makhura continues with this charade? The DA now calls for the Minister to show leadership, and support the need for the review of E-tolls to take place in Parliament. The terms of reference for the Gauteng E-tolls Review Panel announced by Premier Makhura clearly indicates that the panel is not empowered to take any action against E-tolls. The people of South Africa need to see action on E-tolls, and not just a “talk-shop” in Gauteng that has no legal powers. The cost of this Review Panel will take public funds away from other critical needs, yet it can make no meaningful changes to the E-tolls scheme. The DA will continue this fight against E-tolls, which are an economic burden and were imposed upon South Africans without any meaningful consultation. Watch this space. To add insult to injury, SANRAL branding and vehicles are utilised at roadblocks conducted by other traffic enforcement agencies. Motorists are being intimidated to buy e-tags. This is being done without any legal basis to do so. I have already written to the Head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), Robert McBride, to request an urgent investigation into the utilisation of the traffic enforcement agencies by SANRAL for the purpose of coercing motorists to purchase e-tags. The DA opposes the abuse of policing services - which should be spending their time upholding the law and keeping South Africans safe. It appears that SANRAL’s abuse isn’t stopping here. The Minister needs to tell this House and indeed the citizens of South Africa if SANRAL still intends to pursue the prosecution and criminalization of people who have not paid their e-toll bills. To do this will only serve to aggravate the implicit conflict between Government and the public. The ANC’s indifference to rail transport, which should be the backbone of public transport, caused a massive swing towards trucking and it is no coincidence that the road fatality rate went into an upward direction starting in 1998 as the number of trucks on our roads exceeded the traffic police’s resources and competence. For example, the paucity of weighbridges and preferences to enforce speed instead of moving violations were directly responsible for the complete destruction of the N3 to Durban by overloaded trucks, resulting in it being rebuilt and tolled so heavily that it’s now cheaper to fly to Durban than to drive. Rail networks exist across our country and the efficiencies of rail verses road transport are well known. It takes one liter of diesel to transport one tonne of goods 100 meters compared to the same liter transporting one tonne on rail transport for 4000 metres or 4 kilometers. So why are we even allowing this to happen? It appears that government is starting to understand that rail must be the backbone of any public transport system. This is confirmed in the National Development Plan. This we have seen to be the case in many instances internationally. However, until we see the lion’s share of the budget being allocated to rail and its development I remain skeptical about government’s seriousness about getting people off the roads. Currently the largest amount in the budget is still allocated to roads and its infrastructure. With making rail the backbone of transport must come the assurance that indeed using rail is safe. However, reports in the media allege that the CEO of the Railway Safety Regulator spent taxpayers’ money to hire his friends. Has this been investigated, Minister? But this is not the only issue that government is slow to realize. The National Transport Master Plan (Natmap) is still outstanding and Minister Peters called for industry input only in October last year. How much longer will this take? I remember talking about Natmap back in 2009 when I first joined the Transport committee. It was highlighted in our Portfolio deliberations that the Scholar Transport Policy has been outstanding for years and has still not been finalised. In fact, during a presentation to the Transport Portfolio Committee in the last Parliament, the Department of Transport’s Chief Financial Officer, Collins Letsoalo, admitted that after eight years the Department still has not finalised its National Scholar Transport Policy. Furthermore, after five years the policy for Shova Kalula, a programme which is meant to provide an estimated 1 000 000 bicycles to rural schools, has not been implemented either. It’s pilot programme demonstrated a number of deficiencies. The Department, it seems, has been unable to resolve these problems. In every Transport Budget speech I have delivered to date I have spoken about road safety. More than 14 000 people lose their lives on South Africa’s roads annually and despite a target of 30% reduction in road fatalities, the Minister only achieved a 0.79% reduction. The Western Cape Transport Department however has managed to achieve a 31% decrease since 2009. South Africa is rated the worst, out of 36 other countries, when it came to the number of road fatalities. South Africa's road fatalities per 100 000 inhabitants was at 27.6 deaths in 2011 according to The International Transport Forum's (ITF) Road Safety Annual Report and international report for 2013. This is a mortality rate of 28 per 100 000 citizens dying as a result of road fatalities. These fatalities result in a huge socio-economic cost, estimated at R306 billion per annum. The Minister must explain why, as reported in the World Health Organisation's report into road safety released last month, South Africa ranks 177th out of 182 countries studied for road fatalities? Why are road deaths increasing despite having a dedicated body, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), at its disposal, and it mounting several high profile road safety campaigns? The previous Minister Martins recognised the need to shut down the RTMC yet Minister Peters’ new plan for the troublesome entity seems confusing and unclear despite our unacceptable road death figures year after year. The RTMC’s under-reporting on road deaths is compromised. It is clear that the RTMC is largely ineffectual in stemming the annual tide of these deaths. A major shift is therefore needed in how we approach road safety. Why do the figures released by the Transport Department over the last 5 years for road deaths differ vastly from mortuary death studies performed by the National Institute of Mortality Studies (NIMMs) and the October 2012 report by the Medical Research Council into Death certificates at Mortuaries? I can’t help thinking that the statistics provided by the Department are “massaged” before being made public. The Minister and her deputy have their work cut out for them. I hope that by this time next year we will have more to celebrate as there is little to celebrate at the moment. Her first step would be to travel less and sort out these problems right here.

Independents ensured an ANC win

The recent ward 58 by-election tells a very sad story. Now that the elections are over, one can do a proper evaluation of the results. The DA contested in 4 Johannesburg by-elections in total on 2 July 2014. Only ward 58 was lost by the DA. However, unlike the ANC, the DA doesn’t believe that a “win is a win”. The ANC may have won the ward but it scrapped through with a meagre 113 votes; this equates to only a 0.4% victory. Clearly, this ANC “victory” isn’t as victorious as it would like to imply. The reality is that independent candidates, particularly Ricky Nair, openly expressed throughout the by-election campaign that they didn’t give a hoot about the community but was there simply to “split the vote”. For what reason? I fail to understand this. Perhaps he could tell the community. All that he was able to achieve was deliver the ward back to the ANC on a platter. We will now have to endure the non-performance and shocking behaviour of yet another ANC councillor. This by-election again taught us the same old lessons we know so well: every vote counts, small and “independent” (as if there is such a thing) are simply a waste of a vote and split the vote usually ensuring that a bad party gets elected; as was the case in this election. Certainly, the DA is saddened at loosing this ward particularly with a candidate that would’ve made an excellent councillor that would finally start serving the community and sorting out the problems in the area. However, I know that the DA is now more determined than ever to work as hard as possible to serve the community and to ensure that next time voters will not have the election robbed by the ANC as has happened this time.

IPID must investigate e-toll harassment by JMPD

I will write to the Head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), Robert McBride, to request an urgent investigation into the utilisation of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) by the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) for the purpose of coercing motorists to purchase e-tags. It is reported that yesterday, SANRAL branding and vehicles where utilised at a roadblock conducted by members of the JMPD on the Olifantsfontein off-ramp in Gauteng. The use of SANRAL branding, vehicles and equipment at Gauteng roadblocks can only be viewed as a means to intimidate motorists to buy e-tags, without any legal basis to do so. The creation of an impression to the contrary is deliberately misleading. The following photographs were taken, where it is clear that the JMPD and SANRAL were working together at the road block. According to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate Act, which aims to ensure independent oversight of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Municipal Police Services, IPID must, as per section 28(1)(g), investigate abuses by the police amounting to corrupt activities when reported by a member of the public. The conduct exhibited by members of the JMPD not only falls outside of their mandate but also fraudulently uses state resources to bully South African motorists. The DA is determined to shed light on this coercion of Gauteng motorists. I will therefore also be submitting parliamentary questions requesting the details of how many SANRAL vehicles have been deployed to assist the JMPD, on what occasions, and at what expense to the taxpayer. The DA opposes the abuse of policing services - which should be spending their time upholding the law and keeping South Africans safe.

E-tolls task team must be a Parliamentary committee, and Parliament must debate E-tolls

Within the coming days I will be moving for the Transport Portfolio Committee to push for a full review of the E-toll scheme. Furthermore, the outcome of the Committee’s work must be debated in the National Assembly. This review will include the effects and the impacts of E-tolls since inception in December 2013. In his State of the Province Address, Gauteng Premier David Makhura announced that Gauteng would establish a panel to review the E-tolls system. This is a fight that the DA has long championed, and the DA welcomes the Gauteng Premier’s acknowledgement that E-tolls deserve a review. But while we welcome the new Premier’s late arrival to the issue of E-tolls, we contend that because E-tolls were introduced by enabling Legislation passed by the National Assembly, it is the responsibility of Parliament to monitor the impact of its implementation and whether its stated aims and objectives have been met. If the ANC-led government is indeed serious about responding to the public outcry against E-tolls, then our motion to have Parliament review the E-tolls system should be welcomed by the Minister of Transport, Dipuo Peters. The E-tolls system is an economic burden that is putting further pressure on the strained finances of South Africans. South Africans cannot afford the extra tax and they do not want a system that was imposed upon them without any meaningful consultation. My expectations are that the Parliamentary Committee must do the following: 1. Conduct a Socio-Economic impact assessment on E-tolls, based on past 6 months of operation. 2. Based on that assessment to project the viability of the system, for the immediate and long-term future. 3. Fully canvass the views of South Africans, in particular, the people of Gauteng and all other interested parties and bodies. Anything less than a recommendation of scrapping the system will not be a victory for the people of Gauteng, and the people of South Africa in places where further E-tolls could soon be imposed. I will also be drafting, with the Shadow Minister of Transport, Manny De Freitas MP, a Private Members Bill to Parliament that will make the process of imposing any E-tolls in future both consultative and democratic. Our Private Members Bill will amend the Transport and Related Matters Amendment Act, which allowed E-tolls, in the following ways: 1. It will limit the Minister’s and SANRAL’s power to declare a National toll-road, by making the decision subject to the outcome of extensive public consultation, including television and radio advertisements on all major channels and stations at prime-time; simple objection documents and forms easily accessible to the public; newspaper advertisements and signage on the actual road which advertises the proposed tolling; 2. It will impose reasonable thresholds of objections received at which the Minister must request the President to declare a referendum wherein the people of South Africa will have the vote on declaration of the toll-road; 3. It will impose upon the Minister and SANRAL the obligation to take into account the comments of the Premier of the Province in which the road is located, and to make the decision to declare a toll-road only in consultation with the Premier and after consultation with the relevant Mayors through whose municipal boundaries the road may pass; 4. It will impose upon the Minister and SANRAL the obligation to identify and designate an alternative route to every road sought to be declared a toll-road, of reasonably comparable distance. Further, given that the fuel levy scheme is directly related to the implementation of E-tolls, included in our Private Members Bill, we move for: 5. An amendment to the National Roads Act of 1971, to include the provision that all monies raised from the fuel levy must be ring-fenced for the purpose of road construction and maintenance only. Currently the National Roads Act of 1971, allows the government to collect a fuel levy from every litre of fuel sold, and to add that to the national fiscus and spend it on any budget item. Over R240-billion has been collected through this levy since 1998. Our position is that the fuel levy ought to be directed solely to road construction and maintenance, which will further negate the need for E-tolls. The fight against E-tolls is one which the DA will continue to lead in Parliament.