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 Hoot for a toll free GP 

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Hilda Maphoroma, a Roodepoort resident, said she had joined the court application seeking an interdict preventing the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) from launching the contentious e-toll scheme on April 30.

“I take my children every day to school and we use these roads. When I want to go to work I have to use the roads and I'm not sure how they expect us to manage,” she said emotionally.

“They are putting our lives in danger with this system. The implementation will mean I will not be able to go to work. I will not be able to take my children to school because of the financial implication,” said Maphoroma.

She said she was employed by the Norwood Spar in Johannesburg.

Eight lawyers and their juniors were in court on Tuesday representing both sides in the court application filed by the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa).

Advocate Owen Bloomberg, a member of Outa's legal team, said Maphoroma epitomised the general Gauteng resident who “has been pushed to the verge”.

“The minister of transport has conceded that the benefits (of the toll roads) which were being promised by Sanral are not real. We have other individuals who will also be submitting applications to halt this e-toll system,” he said.

“There is no integrated public transport system in the country leaving the millions of people to rely on their cars on these roads which shall be out of reach for many,” he said.

Bloomberg said Tuesday's court deliberations would centre around "technical arguments regarding the parties to be involved in the court battle".

National Treasury's application to intervene in the urgent interdict to stop the launch of the e-tolling system was granted earlier by the High Court. Judge Bill Prinsloo allowed the application because there was no objection from the opposition.

Despite a heavy police presence, defiant motorists hooted and shouted their disapproval of e-tolls outside the court on Vermeulen street in Pretoria.

Scores of Democratic Alliance supporters had braved the cold weather and were gathered outside the court.

Dressed in uniform blue, the lively protesters led by the DA leader in the Gauteng legislature, Jack Bloom, sang and waved posters with messages opposing tolling of the Gauteng roads.

The posters read: "Hoot for a toll free GP" and "e-thief".

"This massive wailing and hooting you are witnessing now is the widespread public opposition to toll roads," said Bloom.

"The toll roads have united people of Gauteng in protest. Public opinion must be heard and respected all the time," he said.

Bloom said the DA wanted a five-months delay to the implementation of the system “to sort out issues first”.

He said multitudes of DA supporters would have flocked to the court but the number of protesters was limited by the permit granted by the Tshwane metro municipality.

Comments

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Sat May 18 20:41:35 SAST 2013 ::

Apr 24, 2012

Dusc

That is the truth our company's biggest supplier just notified us that they cant deliver to us for a order less then 2500 per order. I will be going to the cosatu march Im to poor to pay can I be excluded please I will be worse of if I have to pay e-toll every month Im already in the red
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Apr 24, 2012

Papage

We must all join Cosatu on the mass action against E-Tolling, Gauteng must come to a stand still, no one must go to work until they scrab the bloodie thing.
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Apr 24, 2012

BlackLion

Hilda Maphoroma, you think the courts are stupid. You can afford a car but you can’t afford to pay toll fees? How is that possible? Surely you can cut unnecessary cost and use that money to pay toll fees.

Besides, who is driving because poor people don’t work, low income earners use trains, busses and some use taxis.

Who is fooling who here? Let the RICH pay for these tolls and stop complaining.

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Apr 24, 2012

Sendelimnyama

Mr Bloom,
prepare your self for an evalange of Gauteng votes especially if you pull this one off, sekuyisikhathi sokuba u-comrade adedele abanye egauteng maybe in the Eastern Cape as well, or should I say esigodini sikakhongolose....mina i won't register and I will not Pay
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Apr 24, 2012

Faceless123

So True. My w!fe does 120KM per day taking a child to one of the only two special schools in the entire province. The financial strain we are already suffer!ng is going to wor sen.
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Apr 24, 2012

CheeseBoy

BlackLion
Hilda Maphoroma, you think the courts are stupid. You can afford a car but you can’t afford to pay toll fees?

so by your comment everyone who has a car is rich? everyone who has a car can pay for a road three times just because they have a car? wake up chief, we are all being robbed by our govt here
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Apr 24, 2012

Iwe

@ Blacklion....what a bunch of crab! you pay the stupid e tolling.
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Apr 24, 2012

Dusc

BLACK LION : PLEASE DONT SAY THE RICH MUST PAY THAT IS THE GOVERMENT YES LET THEM PAY DID YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE A CAR FULL OF 5 LADYS PAYS 3000 PETROL AND WILL PAY TOLL FEES OF 700 RAND A MONTH MY SALARY IS NOT BIG THE BANK OWE MY CAR WHO i MUST PAY A MONTHLY INSTALMENT THE GOVERMENT IS THE ONLY RICH HERE PEOPLE IN S.A./ IS GETTING POORER EVERY DAY OPEN YOUR EYES MY BROTHER
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Apr 24, 2012

tumzangwana

'Toll will punish my kids severely'
''''''''''

not only your kids will be punished ausi but the rest of Gauteng and maybe in the near future the whole country will be punished severely.

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Apr 24, 2012

Queenlatifa

@Blacklion, think before you open your mouth. not everyone who owe a car is rich. i have a car cause i need it not because i can afford instalment and also etoll. i have a disable child that i must take to school she cant manage in a public transport. so try to not talk using ur other opening at ur A$$ and try use ur mouth, iD*ot
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