Cosatu march a 'funeral' for e-toll system

Cosatu will stage a "funeral march" for Gauteng's e-toll system tomorrow.

Cosatu provincial secretary Dumisani Dakile said yesterday the labour federation had been encouraged by the Gauteng ANC's rejection of e-tolls and hoped national government would see that the system was collapsing.

He said: "We will bring a coffin, which will represent the last funeral of the e-tolls. "Victory might not be tomorrow or next week, but it will happen."

He dismissed threats that protesters who burned their bills would face arrest.

National Taxi Alliance spokesman Theo Malele said taxi operators would participate in the protest as 80% of them were being billed because they had no permits.

Dakile said the government was shirking its duty to provide Gauteng residents with a proper public transport system. He said the money wasted on the Gautrain would be better spent on upgrading the metro rail system.