Pretoria - People from different civil society organisations continue to flock to Burgers Park to join an anti-e-tolls march spearheaded by the trade union federation Cosatu.
Mostly dressed in the ANC colours, they are singing and dancing ahead of their departure to the Union Buildings, where they are set to protest against the operation of e-tolls on Gauteng roads.
The march was precipitated by the recent remarks made by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni, who called for motorists to pay for e-tolls during his maiden medium-term budget speech.
Leaders of the ANC in Gauteng such as Education MEC Panyasa Lesufi, Ekurhuleni Mayor Mzwandile Masina and former Tshwane Mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa will participate in the protest.
The CEO Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) Wayne Duvenage said: "We are here to protest against e-tolls. We are joining Cosatu, taxi associations and other civil society movements to say to the finance minister that the e-tolls are not here to stay. They have not worked. It has been less than four years in the making and there had been less than 25% compliance from road users."
Picture: Rapula Moatshe/Pretoria News
He said his civil society group was not opposed to the principle of user-pay, but was against the approach by government to impose its decision on the people.
"The approach is irrational and it does not have the support of the people," he said.
Video: Rapula Moatshe/Pretoria News
Duvenage said Mboweni's fault was that he has not consulted with the civil society before he remarked that motorists must pay for e-tolls.
"What they need to do is to engage with civil society and hear our side of the story and understand why this thing is so irrational and such a failure for this country so that we can learn from it and move on and build South Africa," he said.