Share

Ramaphosa orders Mboweni and Makhura to work together to solve e-toll problem

President Cyril Ramaphosa has weighed in on Finance Minister Tito Mboweni and Gauteng Premier David Makhura's disagreements over e-tolls, instructing the ministers to work together to find a solution.

The Presidency on Saturday issued a statement indicating that Ramaphosa had mandated Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, Mboweni and Makhura to submit to Cabinet a solution for the e-toll system in Gauteng. The ministers are expected to table the proposals to Cabinet by the end of August 2019.

Earlier this week in his State of the Province Address, Premier Makhura reiterated that e-tolls would be scrapped. However, Mboweni slammed Gauteng leadership's position on Friday when he tweeted that users of the e-toll system must pay. "I don’t know why the middle and upper classes in Gauteng want to complicate our lives. The working class do not pay e-tolls!! Public transport! Hello…" Mboweni tweeted.

Mboweni also warned Makhura not to "pick a fight" with the finance minister who is in charge of provincial allocations. "I am certain that the Premier of Gauteng knows that you have to be careful before you pick up a fight with a National Minister of Finance. The one who controls allocations! I would be careful if I were him," he tweeted.

Makhura also took to Twitter to say that he had asked Ramaphosa to determine a "final resolution" for the e-tolls, adding that Mboweni is just a minister and not the president.

However, the Presidency has said the exchanges by the ministers on social media is "unfortunate and regrettable".

"The President says such exchanges on social media are unbecoming of their high offices and fail to provide the leadership required in this instance.

"The public interest is best served through collaboration, not conflict, and the appropriate platform for leaders to express and reconcile differing views is Cabinet and other coordination forums," the statement read.

The Presidency acknowledged that the user-pay principle is a government policy, but that the current e-toll system has challenges.

"The President expects that the consultations within government over the coming weeks will produce workable outcomes," the Presidency said.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
19.09
-1.0%
Rand - Pound
24.05
-0.7%
Rand - Euro
20.58
-0.5%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.39
-0.3%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.9%
Platinum
894.64
-0.3%
Palladium
992.99
-0.9%
Gold
2,197.50
+0.1%
Silver
24.44
-0.8%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
67,880
+0.3%
All Share
74,091
+0.3%
Resource 10
56,315
+1.2%
Industrial 25
103,611
+0.3%
Financial 15
16,459
-0.4%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders