Sponsored Links:
INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi. Photo: Jacques Naude
Cosatu has called on motorists not to buy e-tags, in protest at Gauteng’s toll roads. The labour federation’s general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, said if the tolls were not scrapped, “we will be encouraging motorists to drive through the tolls without paying”.
“In this act of civil disobedience, we shall not present ourselves to the courts and will not pay fines imposed for merely using public roads,” he said in Joburg.
Vavi said Cosatu would issue a final notice in the National Economic Development and Labour Council for the right to a protected strike. “The tolls are to go ahead anyway, despite the public hearings, which have turned out to have been a waste of time.”
The matter had been on the agenda at Cosatu’s central executive committee meeting over the past two days.
Vavi said Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele had yet to respond to a request for a meeting, at which he would be asked to say why the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project was going ahead.
“In the meantime, we are urging people not to buy e-tag,” said Vavi.
Cosatu also wanted “urgent” meetings with its alliance partners, the ANC and SACP, to discuss its concerns about the Protection of State Information Bill, overwhelmingly endorsed in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
The bill now goes before the National Council of Provinces, which decided on Thursday to set up a multiparty ad hoc committee to consider it – a move welcomed by the Right2Know campaign and the SA National Editors’ Forum.
Vavi said he had been told that the NCOP process would “open the space” for further amendments to the bill, which Cosatu believed had been cast too broadly.
While Cosatu was “unequivocally opposed to acts of espionage or activities that are hostile to the state”, it was “concerned that relevant provisions in the bill were capable of such broad interpretation that it would have the effect of imposing criminal responsibility on whistle-blowers who disclose information in the public interest”, Vavi said.
The DA has set out plans for a co-ordinated campaign in and outside Parliament – including “flash mobs” of gagged protesters at high-profile events.
The ANC’s chief whip, Mathole Motshekga, said the party would support “any party that feels the Constitutional Court should test the validity of any law”.
“Our laws are subject to constitutional scrutiny,” he said.
But he took exception to the DA’s plans, saying the party was represented in Parliament and part of the process. “If they have inputs to make they must do so,” he said.
Motshekga also took exception to the campaign launched by international online activist organisation Avaaz, which circulated his and other ANC and parliamentary officials’ numbers and e-mail addresses, leading to a flood of mail and causing “our phones to ring endlessly”.
“Who can now deny there is foreign interference in our country?” Motshekga asked. People had a right to protest, but “wouldn’t know a dark force was behind them”, he said on Thursday.
The DA’s leader, Helen Zille, told journalists at Parliament she had written asking President Jacob Zuma for a private meeting “to discuss the immediate as well as far-reaching implications” of the bill.
She said the party’s members on the NCOP’s ad hoc committee, Alf Lees and Darryl Worth, would fight for an extension to the committee’s March 8 deadline, by which it must report back on the bill.
The time allowed was insufficient for proper public participation, Zille said. Of the committee’s 15 members, 10 are from the ANC, two from the DA and one each from the ID, IFP and Cope.
Zille, who is also the Western Cape premier, said she would argue her party’s case in the NCOP as a “special delegate”.
Her party would propose several amendments – all so far rejected by the ANC – including a public interest defence clause – something broadly supported by the bill’s opponents, including Cosatu.
Speaking after a meeting of Cosatu’s central executive committee in Joburg on Thursday, Vavi said such a defence would “maintain a balance between the restrictions legitimately placed on state information against disclosures and media publication of such information in the public interest”.
Vavi said the committee had decided that “if we cannot persuade the government to withdraw the bill”, it would launch a Constitutional Court action “as we believe these proposals are unconstitutional”.
A Concourt challenge is also being contemplated by the DA, the Right2Know campaign and other opponents, including Sanef.
DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko is to lobby other opposition MPs to back a petition under Section 80 of the constitution. This section allows MPs to ask the Constitutional Court to review legislation they believe to be unconstitutional.
The support of one third of National Assembly members (134) is needed and such an action must be launched within 30 days of the bill being signed into law by the president. The combined number of opposition seats in the assembly is 136. Cope, the ACDP, Freedom Front Plus, and IFP have indicated they would support such a move.
The DA said another possibility would be to petition Zuma under Section 79 of the constitution to refer the bill to the Constitutional Court should the NCOP return it unchanged to the National Assembly for ratification.
Among grounds for a Constitutional Court challenge are that the bill should have been processed as one directly affecting provinces, as it deals with provincial archives, which are an exclusively provincial competence.
The DA is also urging members of the public to call the toll-free presidential hotline to express their opposition to the bill, to sign a petition and to send letters to Zuma.
Zille said if all efforts failed and the bill became law as it stood, the DA would “resist its implementation wherever it governs” – but was quick to add it would stop short of breaking any laws.
“(The Western Cape) will continuously look for new and innovative ways to make state information available to the public,” she said. - Political Bureau
|
|
Anonymous, wrote
boycott tolls
The Gecko, wrote
@Christopher - Which part of WE ARE ALREADY PAYING FOR THEM do you not understand? NO ONE is complaining about paying for roads. Most agree that "user pays" is a fair way to fund road maintenance and upgrades. Which is why no one is protesting against the FUEL LEVY! I, for one, cannot afford to pay twice. I will need to look for other work if I have to pay toll, because I simply don't have another R2000 odd lying around. And my chances of finding a job closer to home at my current pay is about zero, so won't really help much either...
Anonymous, wrote
The Toll roads were deliberately kept from the public. If you remember while the roads were being built for the FIFA world Cup, most people were asking what the gantries were for. No answers were forthcoming. Come 2011 Sanral holds out it's fat grubby paw and demands money from the already over taxed taxpayer. Obviously this Toll f..k up was agreed to by the ANCorrupt, as I am sure they too are licking their lips and holding out their fat greasy paws for a bite of the juicy Toll Pie!!!
beicime, wrote
The tollgates are a ripoff that was kept secret from the public. The people was left to understand that the "huge" revenues from the 2010 world cup would pay for every thing. The ANC is not doing good to this country.
Anonymous, wrote
When these roads were built it was suppose to be for the Fifa World Cup, now we have to pay. We have been paying all along with our fuel levies, for road up keep and upgrades.
Mandla Kubheka, wrote
I support all the preassure groups including individuals oppssed to the tolling system. I would like to discourage all the road users starting from taxis,lift clubs,individuals and co-operate not to register for e-toll,as it looks as if the government is playing double standard by reviewing the rate of e-toll on one hand while they (government) may make a turn and claim that motorists have rgistered for the sysytem and those oppose to it are making noise for nothing.Let us be vigilent South Africans
Anonymous, wrote
Arrest at least one person in this farce of a govt. for fraud, show the people you will stop our money being stolen, show that you take responsibility for our tax money, show us that these toll fees are actually going to be used on roads not just on your houses and parties. Arrest ONE person in your criminla enterprise and make them pay back tax money they stole and then maybe just maybe people wouldnt be so against the tolls. This govt. has no charged a single person with fraud or corruption and yet they now it is rife in the ranks. How do you expect us to pay when you know that we know that you are just going to steal from us again and again?
Ben, wrote
Protest marches are for fixing something that has already gone wrong but are ot always successful. Next time, get it right when you vote. This is not the democracy that Mandela had in mind, not even close.
idmac136, wrote
They say tolls are a 'fair' way to build roads - how is it 'fair'that a Pretoria resident working in Joburg must pay R2,000- extra for his commute, while a resident of Magaliesburg pays nothing? Sure ALL roads must be user-pays, or none... THAT would be 'fair'...
ceebee, wrote
Cosatu are all talk and zero action. They are a useless organization with no ideas. When will anything positive ever come out of Cosatu? Where are their ideas to improve the economy and develop jobs? They are for sure an organization of failure. Even worse is that they support the ANC, how dumb is that!
Anonymous, wrote
I agree 100% with not paying for tolls, I myself will not pay a cent until I absolutely have to. The sad thing is though that if we dont pay SANRAL and the ANC fat cats who are going to personally benefit from this corrupt deal will just stop fixing roads, there will be potholes everywhere and no maintenance and then they'll say ya well we wanted you to pay now we dont have money to fix the roads while they sit and drink champagne and eat caviar from the road taxes and levies we already pay. They just want to steal what money they already make and use the tolls to fix the roads. MArk my words, we dont pay and this ruthless govt. will punish us by having roads that are unusable. Does it seem far fetched when they are already allowing children to die of hunger as they use the money meant to feed mouths to buy jets, cars and mansions?
tom, wrote
These are just giant ROBBING MACHINES designed to give private capital our hard-earned cash. SAY NO to BEING MUGGED.
idmac136, wrote
They say tolls are a 'fair' way to build roads - how is it 'fair'that a Pretoria resident working in Joburg must pay R2,000- extra for his commute, while a resident of Magaliesburg pays nothing? Sure ALL roads must be user-pays, or none... THAT would be 'fair'...
Anonymous, wrote
..."whenever there is a protest march or anything of national interest, the white south africans, go to the beach or have braais, yet they are the biggest loud mouths"... that's right, but you forgot who votes for ANC and why? You are the majority who imposes this government on all of us, next time you better think coming to the voting poll, things just getting from worse to worse...
drummerboy, wrote
i could not agree more with Quinton, i also have no problems paying toll fees, but it needs to be a reasonable amount. no-one has the extra money laying around to pay for these tolls at the current price. we all understand that roads need to be maintained, but the amount of people travelling on these roads on a daily basis will have it paid off in a few years and then over and over again in the coming years... and we can all guess where that extra money will eventually land...
Christopher, wrote
YOU WANT GOOD MODERN ROADS? Then you must pay for them! If you don't want to pay taxes would have to be raised. What is your choice?
Jakes, wrote
There mst be civil disobedience - do not pay the tolls to these thieves called SANRAL. alas government
Shrek, wrote
All the millionsbillions lost with curruptions could of avoided this Toll gate saga......BUT...instead of sorting out corruption .. It easier to dig for more gold
coojo, wrote
Its interesting to note that, whenever there is a protest march or anything of national interest, the white south africans, go to the beach or have braais, yet they are the biggest loud mouths.Whenever there is a protest march 99% of protesters will be black, and the whites are quick to claim victory. Mostly speak of hard fought democracy, who did they fight? either they were in some european country or australia and they have the nerve to say "hard fought democracy". Mandela o re hlabile price.
Sinies, wrote
Expect them - Cosatu - to be successful, they are good at breaking things, their C.V. speaks for itself, education, local government, sustainable jobcreation ...
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Services
Buying a car has never been easy. Motoring.co.za contains a large database of car listings with a user friendly search.
Start searching today »
Business Directory
You are here: IOL / News / South Africa / Gauteng / Cosatu's war on tolls
We like to make your life easier
Mobile
Browse IOL on your phone at m.iol.co.za.
Newsletters
Subscribe to our newsletters. News delivered to your inbox!
