The Democratic Alliance (DA) demands that the Gauteng MEC for Finance, Lebogang Maile, come clean about the true state of the province’s finances as reserves are running on empty. The situation has been worsened by the e-toll portion payment agreement.
The dwindling provincial reserves are negatively impacting the delivery of basic services such as fixing our roads, schools, clinics, and hospitals.
It is unacceptable that residents are paying a debt that is not theirs. This situation has been exacerbated by the fact that the current budget deficit is expected to exceed R1 billion for 2025/2026. In the 2024/2025 financial year, GPG departments had a deficit of R5.4 billion, ballooning from the original R2 billion at the start of the fiscal year. The provincial reserves stand at R7 249 930 000.00; despite this, GPG has paid over R8 billion towards the e-toll debt.
E-tolls were part of a broader project called the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) initiated by the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL). The toll revenue was meant to keep our roads in good condition. However, our roads are still in poor condition, littered with potholes and sinkholes, a clear indication that this ill-conceived project of installing e-toll gantries was a waste of money.
Furthermore, the GPG does not provide a clear indication in the 2023/2024 annual report on how the provincial reserves have been impacted by the first payment of R3.2 billion for the historical e-toll debt. A second payment of R5.5 billion was made recently.
A DA-led Gauteng provincial government would not have implemented e-tolls in the first place at the expense of the provincial fiscus. We would ensure that the Gauteng Department of Roads and Logistics uses its budget properly to maintain all roads in this province. We would have kept a positive status on our provincial reserves to safeguard residents’ money and prioritising their needs.