PRASA must account to SCOPA for Jacob Zuma Propaganda Project

The DA will write to the chairperson of Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Themba Godi, demanding that the CEO of Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), Lucky Montana, be summoned to Parliament to account for the spending of public money on political propaganda unrelated to the mandate of the agency. This follows the appearance of an insert in 8 national newspapers, entitled the “The Jacob Zuma Legacy Special”, which is sponsored by the state entity. In a reply to a DA Parliamentary Question, the Minister of Transport, Dipuo Peters, claims that a newspaper insert, called the “Jacob Zuma Legacy Report” appeared in 9 publications and cost the taxpayer R4 642 725.57. It was commissioned “… to tell PRASA’s story, through advertising, [and its] bold and ambitious plans to bring the best passenger rail services in the country…” Yet the 16 page insert was nothing more than a glorification of President Jacob Zuma’s previous term as head of state with no reference to PRASA’s own mandate. The R4.6 million spent on this project is therefore constitutes wasteful expenditure with a purely political motivation. PRASA is a state entity mandated to, in consultation with the Department of Transport, ensure the provision of long haul passenger rail and bus services as set out in section 4 of the National Land Transport Transition Act. With the insert bearing no significant connection to this very clear mandate, the publication can only be viewed as a desperate move to try and rectify President Zuma’s embattled public image. The Minister’s response seemingly amounts to a duplicitous attempt to mislead not only Parliament but also the South African people as to how taxpayers’ money is spent by this state entity. The DA will request that detailed minutes to all meetings relating to the commissioning of the newspaper insert be presented to the Committee so as to come to the truth behind the commissioning of the report and whether the Minister has deliberately mislead Parliament and the South African people. This recent wasteful expenditure of taxpayer’s money is made even more egregious given recent price increases in commuter rail prices at Metrorail, overcrowding on trains, and poor security. The money spent on supporting the ANC’s propaganda campaign could have been better utilised in ensuring the provision of better and cheaper services to millions of South African commuters and businesses. Officials at PRASA must appear before Parliament to account for the publication, and satisfy Parliament as to how the publication served to advance the organisation’s mandate. The public demands absolute transparency and accountability from all state entities and the DA will not let this clear abuse of funds go unanswered.

Transport Department squanders money while they squeeze the taxpayer

Just as I thought that things couldn’t get worse; it did. The Minister of Transport is intent on squeezing the taxpayer via the e-tolls programme, yet at the same time it squanders taxpayer’s money with no thought or consequence. In replies to questions by the DA, the Minister’s own replies to our questions confirm that over R1 billion were spent on irregular expenditure. The astronomical number results from contracts mostly being extended without approval and procurement procedures not being followed. The figures tell us a story; tax payer’s money is not being respected, procedures and proper approvals are simply being ignored. The R1 078 476 847, 00 could’ve been spent to pay off the Sanral R1 billion e-toll debt that Minister Dipuo Peters admitted it’s in. How can the Transport department justify this when they continue to intimidate citizens into paying their multi-billion rand e-tolls system!

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.