The civil rights organisation AfriForum’s 10-year struggle to get rid of e-tolls has reached a satisfying end. This follows after it was announced that the state will take over the South African National Roads Agency’s (SANRAL) e-toll debt of R23.7 billion. Although e-toll has not been officially scrapped, the fact that the state is taking over e-toll’s debts for all practical purposes means the end of this system.
AfriForum donated R100 000 to a court case to have e-toll declared illegal, which led to an initial interdict against the implementation of this system. After the Constitutional Court lifted the interdict, AfriForum encouraged its members not to register for e-toll. Nor has AfriForum registered its own vehicles for e-toll. It now appears that the continued protest from the public has put enough pressure on the system to put an end to e-toll.
“AfriForum welcomes the fact that e-toll has reached the end of the road. We thank all members of the public and organisations who helped in the fight against it. This once again shows the strength of civil society,” says Reiner Duvenage, Campaign Officer for strategy and content at AfriForum.
