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OUTA

CONCESSIONAIRES

CONCESSIONAIRES

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OUTA wants to know How much are SANRAL’s toll road operators collecting, and how much do they hand over to SANRAL. OUTA has submitted a formal request for information to SANRAL, using the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), to get this information. 

The most common form of private sector participation in roads is the concession. This occurs when a private entity builds, operates and transfers a road for a period between twenty and thirty years. The government pays the private entity for its service through toll payments from road users.

In South Africa, there are currently three routes operated by concessionaires. 

These routes are:

• N3 between Heidelberg, Gauteng and KZN; 

• N4 Maputo Development Corridor and the

• N4 Platinum Highway

The concessionaires responsible for the management of these roads are:

• N3 Toll Concessions – N3 between Gauteng, Heidelberg and KZN

• Trans Africa Concessionaires - N4 between Pretoria and Maputo in Mozambique 

• Bakwena Toll Concessionaires – N4 Platinum Highway    


OUTA is interested in the profit projections for the remaining years on the concession contracts.  SANRAL has received a fixed amount from the tolls collected each year, whilst toll tariffs have increased by approx. 80% in the last ten years. Indicating that the concessionaires could be benefitting from excessive profits. 

OUTA has written to SANRAL requesting information on the contract between SANRAL and N3TC.  SANRAL has ignored OUTA’s requests.  OUTA believes that the lack of transparency regarding the projected concessionaire profits for the remaining years of the contract is suspicious, and has therefore lodged a formal PAIA review application, in order to access this information.


SANRAL – N3TC

  • 30 July 2019: OUTA submits its request for access to information (PAIA) to SANRAL. The list of information request is here. 

  • 17 September 2019: OUTA sends SANRAL a courtesy email as no response had been received. OUTA also gave SANRAL until 20 September 2019 to respond.

  • 25 September 2019: Still no answer from SANRAL. OUTA sends another follow up email.

  • 3 November 2019: SANRAL is still silent. OUTA, through its attorneys, lodges an internal appeal against SANRAL’s refusal (deemed to have been refused due to no answer). Although this process is not applicable to SANRAL as later advised by our attorneys, OUTA nevertheless filed this internal appeal in good faith.

  • 17 December 2019: SANRAL remains mute. OUTA informs SANRAL that if no information is received by 17 January 2020, we will approach the court.

  • 17 – 30 March 2020: Country enters hard lock down. Courts in disarray.

  • 6 June 2020: OUTA, through its attorneys, as a last resort approaches SANRAL to provide us with the information. OUTA indulges SANRAL to respond by 19 June 2020. No response.

  • 22 July 2020: OUTA files its formal court application and sets matter on the roll for 7 September 2020. The application is here (part 1) and here (part 2). The matter was subsequently removed from the roll.

  • 19 October 2020: OUTA allocated date of 5 May 2021 as new unopposed date for application.

  • 21 December 2020: OUTA files supplementary affidavit.

  • 16 March 2021: OUTA files Rule 28 amendment – to amend its notice of motion. No opposition received from SANRAL.

  • 26 March 2021: SANRAL alleges they never received OUTA’s application. OUTA’s attorneys confirm that the application was served by the sheriff on 20 August 2020 and gives SANRAL until 20 April 2021 to reconsider and/or file any opposition.

  • 20 April 2021: OUTA’s attorneys confirm no response received from SANRAL or their attorneys. OUTA complied with all directives for the matter to be finally enrolled for 5 May 2021.

  • 4 May 2021: OUTA was informed that SANRAL wishes to oppose the court application that was to be heard on 5 May 2021. This opposition came after all relevant court time periods have expired. Accordingly, and on the day of the hearing, the court ordered that SANRAL has to pay OUTA’s wasted costs on a party and party scale. The court further ordered SANRAL to deliver their answering affidavit(s), together with a condonation application for the late filing of their opposition within 15 days (by 26 May 2021).

  • 31 May 2021: SANRAL filed it answering affidavit in line with the court order granted dated 5 May 2021.

  • 14 June 2021: OUTA filed its replying’s affidavit in response to SANRAL’s answering affidavit.

  • 17 February 2022: N3TC's joinder application to be heard.


SANRAL – BAKWENA

  • OUTA submitted a request for access to information in terms of PAIA to SANRAL on 8 June 2020 in which OUTA requested records relating to the concession agreement between SANRAL and Bakwena. The list of documents requested is here.

  • SANRAL failed to provide OUTA with an adequate response, save for a letter forwarded to OUTA, dated 2016. However, the PAIA request referred to in such letter is not the PAIA request that OUTA submitted on 8 June 2020, but relates to a request OUTA made in 2016.

  • OUTA lodged its internal appeal on 6 August 2020, addressing among other things, that SANRAL failed to properly institute the relevant third party proceedings as contemplated in PAIA. SANRAL also failed to properly set out its grounds for refusal.

  • To date, SANRAL has failed disclose the records so requested by OUTA and has failed to address OUTA’s internal appeal.

  • OUTA’s court application was issued in the High Court, Gauteng Division (Pretoria) on 16 February 2021 and served on SANRAL on 24 February 2021. SANRAL has until 18 March 2021 to oppose OUTA’s application for the disclosure of the records in question. The court application is here.

  • OUTA’s application against SANRAL aims to set aside their refusal to grant OUTA access to the records requested and compel SANRAL to disclose it.

  • The matter has been placed on the court roll for 2 November 2021.

  • On 5 May 2021 SANRAL serves its notice of intention to oppose our application.

  • On 25 June 2021, Bakwena served OUTA’s attorneys with an application to intervene in the PENDING APPLICATION. Bakwena argues that they should be allowed to be joined to the proceedings as the information OUTA requested relates to them.

  • on 9 July 2021, OUTA files a notice in terms of Rule 28(1), adding Bakwena as a party to the proceedings.

  • On 4 April 2022, this matter is due in court to hear the Bakwena joinder.


SANRAL – TRAC 

  • OUTA submitted a request for access to information in terms of PAIA to SANRAL on 25 August 2020 in which OUTA requested records relating to the concession agreement between SANRAL and TRAC. The list of documents requested is here.  SANRAL failed to provide OUTA with a response.

  • OUTA lodged its internal appeal on 5 October 2020, addressing among other things, that SANRAL failed to properly institute the relevant third party proceedings as contemplated in PAIA. SANRAL also failed to properly set out its grounds for refusal.

  • To date, SANRAL has failed disclose the records so requested by OUTA and has failed to address OUTA’s internal appeal, refusing the request by default.

  • OUTA’s court application was issued in the Pretoria High Court on 16 February 2021 and served on SANRAL on 24 February 2021. SANRAL has until 18 March 2021 to oppose OUTA’s application for the disclosure of the records in question. The application is here.

  • OUTA’s application against SANRAL aims to set aside their refusal to grant OUTA access to the records requested and compel SANRAL to disclose it.

  • The matter has been placed on the court roll for 1 November 2021, but due to the local government election was moved to 5 November 2021.

  • On 15 November 2021, the Pretoria High Court ordered SANRAL to provide OUTA with the information requested, within 15 court days of the order being served on SANRAL. The order is here.

  • On 19 November 2021, the court order was served on SANRAL by the sheriff. SANRAL has until 10 December 2021 to furnish us with the records.


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