Opposition parties in Gauteng curious how govt will foot e-toll bill

JOHANNESBURG - Opposition parties in Gauteng want to know how the provincial government plans to pay for its e-toll debt.

In his State of the Province Address in February, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said there was an agreement with the National Treasury to deactivate the gantries by the end of March.

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On Tuesday, Finance MEC Jacob Mamabolo will deliver the 2024/25 budget speech where he is expected to, among other things, outline how Gauteng will pay its share of the e-toll debt.

Mamabolo has the difficult task of finding about R13 billion in his budget that will be redirected to paying off the e-toll debt.

Mamabolo also needs to find money for the continued funding of the Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens and the Nasi Ispani programme.

The Democratic Alliance Gauteng spokesperson on finance, Ruhan Robinson, said the costs of these should not be transferred to already overburdened taxpayers.

“The DA will definitely keep a close eye on this budget and see whether the sweeping promises made by Premier Lesufi can actually realistically take form in this budget.”

Other political parties called on Mamabolo to prioritise Gauteng’s budget towards fixing its ailing infrastructure.