Cosatu March against e-Tolling : South Africa

Cosatu has begun their protest marches against e-tolling in Gauteng. This initiative by Cosatu members has gained massive support and has caused chaos with the public transport sector. ( http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/widespread-support-for-e-toll-protests-1.1250396 )

 

My office assistant was stoned this morning while running for cover – she has injured her back but managed to find a taxi. We will be driving her home tonight to ensure that she arrives in Inanda safely.

 

The new Gauteng/JHB e-Tolling system threatens to raise monthly expenses to an absurd level, threatening SMME's and Entrepreneurs alike. The raise in expenditure per person travelling is between R500 – R1000 a month, this will push up all transport costs, which will have a knockdown effect on things like food prices and bus fares/tax fares. The ruling body of South Africa has remained suspiciously quiet about the matter. (http://www.iol.co.za/motoring/industry-news/why-is-anc-so-silent-on-e-tolling-1.1250582 )

 

Visit the e-Toll website and learn more about how this system can and will affect you, whether you live in Gauteng or not. ( http://www.sanral.co.za/e-toll/ )

 

For e-Tolling news links: http://www.google.co.za/#q=e+tolling&hl=en&prmd=imvnsu&source=univ&tbm=nws&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=WjdXT9blL8jB0QXQnuy6DQ&ved=0CEsQqAI&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=bd5f54be03667ba9&biw=1366&bih=673

 

Facebook status like the following:  

"All DBN peeps, avoid the (Durban) CBD for a few hours, the COSATU march is progressing down West Str (Dr. Pixley K str)!"

 

And Twitter is a buzz with tweets like: 

@HajraOmarjee: 30 thousand on the street in JHB. 

@phillipdewet: Police here wont yet give crowd estimates for #cosatu JHB, but none can remember a march this big since the 1980's.

 

Some more interesting links:

http://www.google.co.za/#q=cosatu+march&hl=en&prmd=imvnsu&source=univ&tbm=nws&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=sTRXT60ssZjUBbXtrOAN&ved=0CDsQqAI&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=bd5f54be03667ba9&biw=1366&bih=673

 

What are your thoughts on e-Tolling? I personally think that it is absolute rubbish. With the amount of fraudulent activity going on at a Government level in South Africa it is surely just a little more "icing" on top of a very heavily frosted cake (too tempting)

 

Let me know.

 

 

Sandy Bigara

 

*Picture of marching crowd sourced from sabc2 via google search.