From the South African Press Association
The Sowetan on Wednesday retracted a report that Gauteng’s e-tolling system will be replaced and clarified that there had only been a decision on a hybrid funding model.
The newspaper reported that a final decision on how a revised version of the system would work was expected once an intergovernmental team, led by deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, completed its work.
At the end of the report, the newspaper published a line: “Yesterday [Tuesday], Sowetan incorrectly reported that e-tolls would be replaced”.
According to Tuesday’s report, the provincial government had reached an agreement with the national government that the e-tolls would be replaced by a new system to service the multi-billion rand debt created by the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project.
This followed Gauteng premier David Makhura’s announcement in his state-of-the-province address on Monday that there would be “major financial relief” to motorists.
Makhura’s spokesman on Tuesday denied that the e-tolling system would be scrapped.
When approached for comment on Tuesday, Sowetan’s editor, Mpumelelo Mkhabela, sent an sms to Sapa saying: “Thank you for checking on the story. Please read the paper tomorrow.”
On Wednesday the paper clarified that the decision was still pending, but that the intergovernmental team had agreed with the province on a hybrid funding model. The details were still being finalised.
The Gauteng e-tolls review panel, which held public hearings on the system last year, recommended a hybrid model.
