The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Wednesday called for a fuel levy to pay for roads, instead of e-tolls, during a protest outside Gauteng Premier David Makhura's office.

"We do want to pay for them [the roads] by a dedicated, ring-fenced national fuel levy," the party's spokesperson for roads and transport Neil Campbell said during a picket by about 100 DA supporters in Simmonds Street, central Johannesburg.

He asked who was getting rich from the e-tolls.

"We reject the e-tolls with the contempt they deserve."

He said because of apartheid-era spacial planning, the poor were paying the most for transport.

Makhura's suggestion of a hybrid system would increase in cost year after a year, he said.

DA provincial chairperson Solly Msimanga compared the relationship between Gauteng's residents and the e-toll system to the relationship between a battered wife and her partner.

The abuse, by the government and its e-toll system, started slowly, but people would continue to accept it, even if it got worse.

He said the premier was not listening to what the province's people wanted.

"Instead of listening to us they're doing what the previous government did to us," he said.

"This is an unwanted way of collecting money for the roads."

The DA called for Makhura to hold a referendum on the system.