Deputy Speaker, during the debate on the presentation of the 2012-13 Budget a Cabinet bailout proposal for SA National Road Agency Limited, Sanral, amounting to R5,7 billion for e-tolling on Gauteng toll roads, was presented in an extraordinary way. As we know, the debt was in fact made by Sanral and tariffs decided on without proper consultation with any stakeholders. The government argued in the presentation to the committee that section 30 of the Public Finance Management Act, PMFA, is a sound authority to permit this allocation. When you read this section, you can clearly see how skilful this provision has been stretched to suit this bail-out plan for Sanral and, by extension, the Gauteng provincial government. One wonders why Gauteng was not top-sliced to deal with this debt.
How do we support that public infrastructure is semiprivatised through payment made by the working class for life? This is an expense that is going to spiral out of control into infinity. The tariffs year on year will run out of control and government won't be able to control or regulate downwards the tariffs of Sanral from time to time.
Yesterday, Cosatu led an oppositional march. In fact, 32 marches in the major cities and towns were mounted and the message they were sending was clear: no e-tolling. It is our considered view that public infrastructure like roads is the responsibility and asset of government - the state. By extension, it is owned by the taxpayers, the workers and the people of our country. About 100 000 people marched yesterday. The question we are asking here is whether this march, which was in fact led or supported by the Minister of Higher Education and was in opposition to this, will mean anything. Since the people have now rejected e-tolling in Gauteng, what are we going to do? The General Secretary of Cosatu, Zwelinzima Vavi, had this to say:
We have been betrayed on tolling by our comrades. We were one on the issue before local government elections last year, but the party has since changed its tune.
One of the major objections that we in Cope have is e-tolling without alternative routes for people to use without paying exorbitant fees. We were told that alternative routes would be created in the future but that future should have happened before. Therefore, we do not support the bailout of Gauteng tolling, not without there being alternative routes for many people. For that matter, we don't support any e-tolling anywhere, given the exorbitant amounts involved and the resultant semiprivatisation of our roads. [Applause.]