Dear Mr President, Africans are not backward

President Jacob Zuma should withdraw his statement last night that "we can't think like Africans because we are in Johannesburg and not some national road in Malawi" (see Daily Maverick report). .

The President was saying we must welcome e-tolls and pay up because new freeways have been built in Johannesburg.  What the President doesn't realise is Africa is actually developing at a faster pace than he suggests.

Many governments in African countries have adopted investor friendly policies that create jobs. They are not burdening citizens with double-taxation through an expensive e-tolling system. 

The President should rather take a leaf out of the books of other African economies that are actually growing faster than us.

This is what President Zuma neglected to think about when he signed the e-toll bill into law.

Mr President, we are not being backward when we say we can't afford e-tolls.

Your claim that working class people with cars can afford tolls is false.

Who can afford to pay R400 extra month to drive between Soweto and Midrand?

Instead of insulting South Africans by saying we are backward when we oppose e-tolls, we should get rid of this backward and expensive tolling system.

The President should apologize and withdraw these insulting remarks.

Statement issued by Mmusi Maimane, DA Premier Candidate for Gauteng, October 22 2013

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