Gauteng government will 'contribute to settle e-toll debt': David Makhura

Gauteng premier David Makhura on Monday announced that he would meet transport minister Fikile Mbalula to discuss e-tolls.

Makhura was delivering his state of the province address at the University of Johannesburg Soweto campus where he pledged that his government would contribute money to settle the e-toll debt.

He said his government's anti-e-toll stance had not changed and it believed "e-tolls have no future in Gauteng".

But he said the issue was in the hands of the national government, hence he would meet Mbalula to try to find a lasting solution to the long-standing impasse on the matter.

"First, our position has not changed on e-tolls. It was not for elections, the e-tolls have no future in Gauteng. It was not for elections, they have no future, it is something we believe in," said Makhura to loud cheers and applause.

"But you know the truth, this matter is in the hands of national government. Me and the minister of transport have been talking about how to take forward the work of the president on the e-tolls and there is going to be significant movement on this matter.

"I want to insist, there is no turning back on the issue of e-tolls."

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Makhura said his government was ready to take the bullet for non-paying motorists, a majority of whom have rejected and resisted paying for e-tolls.

"We as the provincial government, we are prepared to put some money where our mouth is. We are prepared to contribute some money in order to deal with the debt to show how serious we are on this matter," he said.

"I am meeting with minister Mbalula today, not in 100 days," he added.