Pretoria - Government agencies like Sanral do not run government, the ANC does.
This, according to Gauteng ANC chairman Paul Mashatile, who attacked Sanral over the implementation of e-tolls on Friday.
Mashatile was addressing delegates attending the party’s provincial elective conference.
“They do not run this country. The ANC does. Government agencies must understand they do not run the country. It’s not that I dislike Sanral. I like them but they must know their space,” he said.
Mashatile said he disliked government agencies that took on politicians. “We appoint officials to implement the policies of the ANC. If they have a problem they must come to us and not go to the media. Sanral cannot tell us what to do, we will tell them what to do,” he said.
Sanral has been at loggerheads with Gauteng Premier David Makhura who formed a review panel to investigate the economic impact of e-tolls on residents.
This week, the review panel finished going across the province to hear people’s views. Mashatile said the panel should finish its work and present their report.
He said it was untrue that Makhura forming a review panel to look into e-tolls was going against national government. “There may be different views, but as the ANC in Gauteng we are behind this process,” Mashatile said.
He said before Makhura announced the formation of the review panel, the matter was first discussed with Luthuli House.
“Some were even saying we are raising the issue of e-tolls because we want to embarrass the president. We can never do that. President Zuma is our president,” he said.
Pretoria News Weekend