Earlier this week there were several reports claiming that the Department of Transport and Cabinet had reached a decision on e-tolls, choosing to scrap the divisive system, with a final course of action to be decided in early 2022.

Shortly after the reports were published, the Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, issued a statement clarifying the matter and calling said reports inaccurate.

“The matter of e-tolls is receiving priority attention by Cabinet. The final determination is about how best to carry the cost burden. We agreed with the Minister of Finance that the announcement of the final decision will be made during the Budget Speech in February 2022,” he tweeted out late yesterday.

“The matter of e-tolls is receiving priority attention by Cabinet and will be finalised soon. The final determination is about how best to carry the cost burden of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP), while maintaining these roads in pristine condition,” he added.

The matter of e-tolls is receiving priority attention by Cabinet. The final determination is about how best to carry the cost burden.

We agreed with the Minister of Finance that the announcement of the final decision will be made during the Budget Speech in February 2022. pic.twitter.com/DOOHp1OXdG

— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) November 29, 2021

The minister was also careful to point out that taking such a decision given the initial costs and maintenance of such a project is not a simple yes or no process, but he did acknowledge that is overwhelming public support to see e-tolls scraped for good.

As such, we will only find out the fate of e-tolls early next year.

[Image – CC BY-ND 2.0 GovernmentZA on Flickr]