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“Government is showing its contempt for taxpayers of South Africa with its decision to appeal the e-toll court judgment. Even before the government had studied the judgment to find out if there are legal grounds on which to base an appeal, it announced that it would not accept the judgment of the court. This speaks of arrogance and the government’s rejection of the rights of taxpayers whose money the government is going to waste further with an unnecessary court case,” was the reaction of adv. Anton Alberts, the FF Plus’ parliamentary spokesperson on Transport.

“Government is trying to prove a point with taxpayer’s money. Government did not consider road users before the Gauteng e-toll system was constructed and is now ignoring the overwhelming opposition by taxpayers and road users to the toll roads. Only when there is an election on hand, government seems to know taxpayers but when it comes to the wasting of tax funds, it refuses to listen to the taxpaying public at all,” is the opinion of adv. Alberts.

The FF Plus is of the opinion that the government does not have sufficient legal grounds to succeed with an appeal. The decision to appeal is based on the principle of government that the e-tolls will be implemented at all costs to pay off the debt that government had acquired in the construction of the project. In addition, the government is not serious with the committee which had been appointed under the leadership of deputy president Motlanthe to look into the whole e-toll system. Government should not appeal against the judgment but should rather be looking for alternative measures to pay off the debt without taxpayer’s money being wasted and punishing road users for the mistakes of the government.