‘COSATU's toll plan' - a clarification
The Congress of South African Trade Unions wishes to clarify a report - ‘Cosatu's toll plan' - by Dianne Hawker & Moffet Mofokeng in the Sunday Independent, 3 June 2012, It claims that COSATU's position is that "Other provinces must contribute towards Gauteng e-tolls because the province pays more than its ‘fair share' to the economy and ‘four times more' than it receives from the national treasury" (see here).
In fact COSATU's view is based on its opposition in principle to the commodification of our basic services such as our road network, and hence our opposition to the ‘user-pays' policy and to e-tolling, whether in Gauteng or anywhere else.
Our argument is that we have a national road network and that Sanral is a national structure, and therefore it should be funded nationally, regardless of where its road construction projects are taking place.
We are still in discussion with the African National Congress as to the best funding model to repay Sanral's debts and finance future road construction and improvement projects. One proposal under discussion is for a 14c a litre increase on the fuel levy, but only as an interim measure to repay Sanral's current debt. Longer-term alternatives are still being debated, but any outcome must be based on fairness, so that those who can afford to pay more make a bigger contribution.
There should however be no provincial discrimination. All provinces need more and better roads and good infrastructure, which will benefit the entire country, not just the province where the work is being carried out.
As COSATU is correctly quoted as saying, "farmers get their produce to the markets and airports using Gauteng freeways. Business and individual prosperity increases from improved efficiencies in transportation of people and goods through the economic heart of South Africa. This generates more taxes for the country. Equally, road improvements in other parts of the country will help Gauteng..."
COSATU urges government to drop its attempt to reverse the North Gauteng Court interdict to delay the implementation of e-tolling. They must scrap the tolls, await the outcome of the ANC/COSATU Task Team looking into alternative funding models and implement these alternative methods as quickly as possible.
What government must not do is to maintain the view that the Task Team's conclusions are "just a mere recommendation" from "non-governmental organisations". COSATU has over two million members and our ally, the ANC, has been voted into power by 66 percent of the population. It is the ruling party and the leader of our liberation struggle, certainly not just "an NGO".
Statement issued by Patrick Craven, COSATU national spokesperson, June 4 2012
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