OUTA applauds Catholic Church e-toll stance

On the 20th of May 2013, the Justice & Peace Department of the Catholic Church released a compelling statement which sets out with clarity and significant detail, their reasons to denounce the Governments current plan to toll Gauteng’s freeways, as a funding mechanism for infrastructure improvement.

“We are extremely pleased that an entity of such stature and magnitude as the Catholic Church, has come out to defend the country’s citizens against a questionable decision and action by the state” says Wayne Duvenage, chairperson of OUTA. “This denouncement of e-tolling by the church was clearly conducted after significant research and an introspective assessment of the pros and cons of e-tolling. They could have done nothing. They could have sat back and watch these developments from the sidelines as so many organisations do, but they chose not to. Instead, the Catholic Church have delved into the controversial matter, they have recognised the wrongs of this ill-conceived plan, along with the negative impact it will have on the poor and they have seen how this irrational e-toll decision will lumber society with a significant and unnecessary burden.”

OUTA is extremely impressed that the Catholic Church has taken this stance of active citizenry and moral courage to speak out. “It was ultimately the moral courage of various religious groups and other entities in the past that became the catalyst of apartheid’s irrational ‘house of cards’ to come crashing down,”says Duvenage “and it would appear there is a case of deja vu in this matter of irrationality which has raised the brow of this massive religious body.”

OUTA calls on other bodies, associations and organisations to take a stand and denounce this preposterous plan of SANRAL’s and for the citizens of South Africa to be steadfast and resolute in their rightful rejection of e-tolling by not purchasing an e-tag, thereby exercising passive resistance against this plan. “OUTA’s legal challenge will be heard in the Supreme Court in the latter half of this year and we ask that citizens and businesses assist us in meeting our obligations to finance the legal expenses of this case, by depositing funds into our bank account – the details of which are found on OUTA's website.