Today, we march to the National Department of Transport to tell Minister Dipuo Peters that she must listen to Gauteng Premier David Makhura.
She must listen when the Premier says that the people of Gauteng overwhelmingly reject E-tolls.
So overwhelming is this rejection that he had to set up a public participation Advisory Panel, after the fact of E-tolls being installed and operating already.
Yet Minister Peters denies today that she will even consider the pleas of the people of Gauteng.
Minister Peters, listen to Premier Makhura. Listen to the people of Gauteng, who have said ‘No to E-tolls!’
Our demand to the Minister is that she legitimize the Gauteng Advisory Panel by agreeing to receive its findings.
Our demand to the Minister is that she receive the findings and take them very seriously, because they will reflect the will of the people.
Our demand to the Minister is that she takes those findings and she uses them to scrap E-tolls once and for all.
E-tolls must be scrapped, because over 10 months of operation they have proved to be a failure, they have cost South Africans millions and millions in rising prices, and they are stopping our growing middle class from thriving to become real economic agents.
The people of Gauteng, and the people of South Africa have spoken Minister Peters, it is now time to act.
Gauteng Premier Makhura has made it clear when he said: "if needs be, I will stand with the people of Gauteng" against E-tolls.
Minister Peters, you cannot ignore this growing opposition any longer.
There is now opposition from within your own party.
The DA has always stood firmly against E-tolls, we have protested, we have taken them to court, we have challenged them in parliament and we have defied to be forced to pay tolls under this unjust scheme.
Today we say to the Minister; your time to act is now. Agree to accept Gauteng's findings, and scrap E-tolls once and for all.
Issued by DA