We remain committed to defending motorists against prosecution for unpaid e-toll debt, despite a recent statement by a Treasury official who said that debt should and will be collected. Government and SANRAL seem to have forgotten that our test court case on e-tolls is still pending. 

Eighteen months after the October 2022 announcement by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, e-tolls are still around. But in recent days, the Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, and the Minister of Transport, Sindisiwe Chikunga, announced that e-tolls will be switched off by 31 March 2024. 

Forgive us for being a tad cynical after the many unkept promises and contradictory statements over the last 12 years or so. For instance, at the end of December 2022, Premier Lesufi promised that those who paid e-tolls will be refunded, a statement he has since retracted.  

There are still many unanswered questions on the whole e-toll debacle, but rather than providing answers, government adds to the confusion. However, we would like to assure our supporters that OUTA will not be intimidated.  If needed, we will defend every motorist who receives a summons from SANRAL, provided they give OUTA the mandate to do so and that we have the funds available.

Government and SANRAL will battle to collect e-toll debt, since much of it has already prescribed. 

In February 2019 OUTA’s attorneys defended 2 028 cases on behalf of OUTA supporters who received summonses from SANRAL for alleged e-toll debt. In March 2019 SANRAL’s board made a decision to stop the issuing of summonses, in essence accepting defeat.  

The crux of the OUTA vs. SANRAL court case involves a crucial challenge to the constitutionality of the e-toll scheme. This not only questions its legality but also raises concerns about its enforceability.

“We will not merely accept government’s irrational plan to collect debt on their inefficient, costly and largely unworkable system, especially since they themselves announced that e-tolls will be cancelled,” Wayne Duvenage assured the public.

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