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The DA welcomes Gauteng Premier David Makhura’s admission that E-tolls are a failure and that he plans to engage with President Cyril Ramaphosa on this matter.

The DA has long been at the forefront in the battle against E-tolls and once again calls on the government to scrap this system.

The Premier admitted that E-tolls place a burden on citizens of the province which echoes the DA’s long-sustained view of the system.

Given the increase in the fuel levy, the increase in VAT as well as the knock-on effect E-tolls have on consumers, the perpetuation of this system will be the death knell for the poor and middle class who are the hardest hit by continued and sustained tax hikes.

The Premier must ensure that the President scraps E-tolls once and for all, and not try to pass off another watered-down version of the E-toll system which he and President Ramaphosa foisted on Gauteng road users in 2015.

It is vital that an alternative funding mechanism for the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project be found as new roads expansion has all but stopped in Gauteng due to a lack of funding.

If this situation is not addressed as a matter of urgency, gridlocked roads will severely impact the economy of the province.

Residents of Gauteng deserve a government that has their best interests at heart. A total change in government come 2019 is what is needed to offer respite to those who have had to bear the brunt of ANC mismanagement and poor governance.

The DA will keep the Premier accountable and ensure that he follows through on his promise to settle the E-toll question once and for all.

Issued by DA