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Cape Town - The Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) said on Friday that it is alarmed by Sanral CFO’s Inge Mulder’s recent statements on Sanral's cash flow position.
“Her attempt to rationalise Transport Minister Dipuo Peters's factual answers to a parliamentary question concerning actual revenues collected from e-toll payment defaulters undermines parliamentary accountability”, said Outa chairperson Wayne Duvenage.
“While minister Peters appears to be aware of her overriding accountability to her oath of office as a Cabinet minister above her membership of the governing party, Mulder’s attempt to ‘explain possible misunderstanding’ when there was none, inspires no confidence in anyone, least of all investors that Sanral is so anxious to impress.”
Freeway
When e-tolling started in December, Outa warned Sanral that their “hook, crook and spook” methods to try and intimidate motorists into tagging-up would backfire.
“And they most certainly have,” said Duvenage, adding that “e-tag penetration has been dismal".
The vast majority of Gauteng freeway users having opted to take their chances as ‘alternate users’, he said.
Duvenage said: "We remind Alli that on February 28 2014, he claimed that e-toll revenues had ‘surpass[ed] the target of R200m per month’.
“It was patently obvious he was using a highly creative form of financial accounting”, said Duvenage.
“Fortunately minister Peter’s reply to parliamentary questions the following week dispelled the smoke and reversed the mirrors."
He claimed that Sanral CFO Muller is temporarily filling the vacuum as the main spokesperson for Sanral. "While the information she has provided has more detail, her interpretation of the facts do not bear professional scrutiny. Her fiduciary duty obliges her to explain rather than obfuscate,” said Duvenage.
Civil courage
Outa consultant John Clark noted that Sanral has in every annual report over the past decade repeated its claim to be a ‘learning organisation’, espousing values of ‘accountability, participation and transparency’.
“Yet the manner it has gone about innovating the Gauteng e-toll system under Alli’s leadership demonstrates an entirely contrasting reality.
"We are calling for citizens to exercise civil courage. Likewise the time has come to call on Sanral's board of directors to exercise professional courage and to listen instead to their consciences."
He said the board has a solemn fiduciary duty to take responsibility for the "fiasco".
"The first question they must ask themselves is whether they can, in all conscience, support Mulder’s recent statement warning motorists that if they fail to pay outstanding e-toll bills within the next month, they will be jailed as criminals”.
“Her attempt to rationalise Transport Minister Dipuo Peters's factual answers to a parliamentary question concerning actual revenues collected from e-toll payment defaulters undermines parliamentary accountability”, said Outa chairperson Wayne Duvenage.
“While minister Peters appears to be aware of her overriding accountability to her oath of office as a Cabinet minister above her membership of the governing party, Mulder’s attempt to ‘explain possible misunderstanding’ when there was none, inspires no confidence in anyone, least of all investors that Sanral is so anxious to impress.”
Freeway
When e-tolling started in December, Outa warned Sanral that their “hook, crook and spook” methods to try and intimidate motorists into tagging-up would backfire.
“And they most certainly have,” said Duvenage, adding that “e-tag penetration has been dismal".
The vast majority of Gauteng freeway users having opted to take their chances as ‘alternate users’, he said.
Duvenage said: "We remind Alli that on February 28 2014, he claimed that e-toll revenues had ‘surpass[ed] the target of R200m per month’.
“It was patently obvious he was using a highly creative form of financial accounting”, said Duvenage.
“Fortunately minister Peter’s reply to parliamentary questions the following week dispelled the smoke and reversed the mirrors."
He claimed that Sanral CFO Muller is temporarily filling the vacuum as the main spokesperson for Sanral. "While the information she has provided has more detail, her interpretation of the facts do not bear professional scrutiny. Her fiduciary duty obliges her to explain rather than obfuscate,” said Duvenage.
Civil courage
Outa consultant John Clark noted that Sanral has in every annual report over the past decade repeated its claim to be a ‘learning organisation’, espousing values of ‘accountability, participation and transparency’.
“Yet the manner it has gone about innovating the Gauteng e-toll system under Alli’s leadership demonstrates an entirely contrasting reality.
"We are calling for citizens to exercise civil courage. Likewise the time has come to call on Sanral's board of directors to exercise professional courage and to listen instead to their consciences."
He said the board has a solemn fiduciary duty to take responsibility for the "fiasco".
"The first question they must ask themselves is whether they can, in all conscience, support Mulder’s recent statement warning motorists that if they fail to pay outstanding e-toll bills within the next month, they will be jailed as criminals”.
