Gauteng premier David Makhura said attempts by the Electronic Toll Collection company to suggest that stopping e-tolls would have a negative impact on the economy were “blackmail”.

In his fifth political report to the provincial legislature‚ Makhura said Gauteng residents “do not like” the e-tolling system.

“It is for this reason that we have now referred this matter to the President‚ for a final determination on alternative options of settling the debt. I am confident that a solution will be found. Once the debt is settled‚ we will be able to maintain our roads without the e-toll system‚” said Makhura.

“Last week‚ my attention was drawn to the advertising being done by the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) company‚ which subliminally suggests that stopping e-tolls will have a negative impact on the future of the economy and people of our province‚" he said.

"Nothing is further from the truth. This is an attempt at blackmailing the people of Gauteng. Please try another trick. We will not be blackmailed. The e-tolls have no future here.”

He said there were other ways to build‚ maintain and upgrade roads.

“The Gauteng government has been able to upgrade and rehabilitate our provincial road network of more than 5‚000km that have no e-tolls. We can and will find alternative ways of expanding and maintaining our road network without e-tolls‚” he said.