ANC, Cosatu to march through Pretoria against etolls
The African National Congress (ANC) in Gauteng and its
affiliates including the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) are
expected to take to the streets of Tshwane in protest the e-toll system in the
province.
Cosatu has been vocal in scrapping the e-tolling system introduced before the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
After suffering a blow in the 2016 local government elections, the ANC in the province joined the call to do away with the system.
It is believed the governing party lost two major Metros in the province after failing to listen to their working- and middle-class voters.
The national governing party and its provincial structure seem to be at odds when it comes to the e-tolls.
The national party's 2017 elective conference resolved to scrap the e-tolls.
However, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni, said the e-tolls are here to stay when delivering his medium-term budget speech on October 24.
This prompted Gauteng's Premier and ANC Chairperson in the province, David Mkhura, to reiterate that the party's voters in the region do not want the e-tolls.
ANC's Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) member, Kgosientso Ramokgopa, says the tolling is not contributing to improving the economy.
He adds the system has affected the poor the most.
"The march is also about the rising cost of living, the VAT increase, the regular price increase in the fuel prices and the cost of DATA," says Ramokgopa.
Tshwane Metro Police, Isaac Mahamba, says police in the capital will be on high alert on Friday morning during the protest.
The demonstrations are expected to start at Burgers Park at 10 am.
"They will march into Lilian Ngoyi Street, turn right at Nana Sita Street and turn left into Nelson Mandela Drive. They will proceed along Nelson Mandela Drive and then turn right into Madiba Street to proceed straight until they reach the Union Buildings," says Mahamba.
Listen to the list of road closures below: