'We still won't pay' - Mzansi dismisses Tito Mboweni's call for Sanral to chase e-toll debt
Social media users have reacted to finance minister Tito Mboweni's calls for the SA National Roads Agency (Sanral) to reverse its decision to halt the collection of e-toll debt.
The company announced on Wednesday that its board of directors had made the resolution at a meeting on Tuesday. The decision includes historic debt and summonses from 2015.
Speaking at the introduction of the new commissioner of the South African Revenue Service, Edward Kieswetter, in Pretoria on Thursday, Mboweni said he was was not happy with Sanral's decision and claimed it undermined what the Treasury had said in its budget - that it supported the "user must pay" principle.
"They must reverse that decision immediately or else this has implications for the bond market. It has implications for the fiscus. It has implications for their own credit rating and the credit rating for the country," Mboweni said.
Mboweni said people should ensure they did not take careless decisions in the middle of a very difficult financial situation.
The minister's comment drew reaction from those on social media who flooded Twitter with memes and messages mocking Mboweni and reaffirming their commitment not to pay.
So Tito Mboweni Thinks were Going to Be afraid after he says sanral must reverse yesterday's Decision?...Its Business as Usual For us shem...we ain't bothered pic.twitter.com/1ISl8DF5aL
— Issa Queen 👑 Mak_G (@Da_MaK_G) March 28, 2019
Tito mboweni want sanral to reverse the decision to not prosecute the motorists who fail to pay etoll, he forgot we have being told to not take him serious pic.twitter.com/gBgNao53G9
— Schalk (@Schalk73051740) March 28, 2019
Someone tell Tito Mboweni we will never pay #etolls. They can do what they want hle. 🤗
— Re hloka phetoho (@CJSteyl) March 28, 2019
Hi s there anyone more annoying than Tito Mboweni? pic.twitter.com/lLKU2s4fak
— #VoteEFF2019 (@bozzie_t) March 28, 2019
So @tito_mboweni say we must all be blacklisted for Etoll debts 😳 Really undermining the voters. Rich don’t understand situation of the poor at all 🤔
— TaxidriverSipho (@TaxiDriverSipho) March 28, 2019
Tito Mboweni is an irritant that must go away. pic.twitter.com/cBEf9AObHs
— Andiswa Nhlangeni (@ANhlangeni) March 28, 2019
Tito Mboweni you really want to be the enemy of the people. You must recover etoll money from the people who benefited from that etoll project, we were never consulted on their construction and therefore they are illegal and we will never pay for etolls period.
— Ottomatic (@OMphutha) March 28, 2019
Tito Mboweni should be deported to Rwanda Kigali once!!! pic.twitter.com/QzdVc2so5s
— Mmadikgosi Matshego (@Mmadikgosi_23) March 28, 2019
Tito Mboweni lambasting Sanral for writing off the E-toll debt.
— Ms_Gupta🇿🇦 (@African_Spring) March 28, 2019
Kanti this gwavamenti is confused, the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing?
Didi Mabuza has said dont take Tito Mboweni serious. ..Etolls what??? pic.twitter.com/HZp7NiTQNW
— Brains (@Brains91746288) March 28, 2019