The City of Cape Town will today try to lift the veil of secrecy over proposed e-tolling plans for the N1 and N2 freeways - in a test case for the controversial secrecy bill.
Constitutional law expert Professor Marinus Wiechers said the SA National Roads Agency's application showed it was intent on withholding information from the public.
The city and two non-governmental organisations - Right2Know and Section 16 - will head to the Cape Town High Court today to access Sanral's plans to toll the two highways.
Sanral has kept a tight lid on its plans to extend urban tolling from Gauteng to the coast.
Asked if this was a test case for the secrecy bill, Wiechers said: "Of course. This is a very important case to see how Sanral can refuse to disclose very important information."
Should the court accede to Sanral's application, motorists would be prevented from knowing the tariffs they will pay and the profits set to flow to the Protea Parkways Consortium.
"Sanral has to show that there are very important matters [involved], perhaps related to state security. I cannot see how they can refuse to disclose information that will inevitably affect the public," said Wiechers.
Alison Tilley, Right2Know's Western Cape spokesman, said its mission was to convince the court that the documents should be made public.
The city and Sanral have been embroiled in a bitter court battle over the proposed N1/N2 Winelands Toll Highway Project since 2012. Last year, the city obtained an interdict preventing Sanral from tolling the two freeways until the case was finalised.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
