The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in Gauteng welcomes the Cabinet’s decision to approve SANRAL plan to totally shutdown the e-toll system on Gauteng’s’ free-ways, a long-awaited and hard-fought victory for workers across Gauteng and the country at large.

For years, workers have borne the heavy financial burden imposed by e-tolls, with many motorists forced to spend a significant portion of their already strained incomes on transport costs. This system placed undue pressure on working-class households, worsening the cost-of-living crisis and deepening inequality.

The scrapping of e-tolls represents a critical step towards restoring fairness and easing the economic strain on workers who rely on road transport to access their workplaces daily. Many workers travel long distances under difficult conditions, and this decision will bring much-needed relief.

We commend the Cabinet for listening to the voices of workers, communities, and labour organisations who have consistently raised concerns about the unjust nature of the e-toll system. This decision demonstrates a willingness to engage constructively and respond to the lived realities of ordinary South Africans.

COSATU further notes the recommendations by SANRAL to write off debt owed by road users who did not pay, and for the National Treasury to service this debt, and that the road users who paid toll fees would not be refunded because this was the law at the time, and the Federation reiterates the importance of remaining in unison when fighting for a good cause, as this had been the call for the Federation for all the citizen of the province to approach this battle as a collective.

However, as we celebrate this important development, we call on government to ensure that sustainable and equitable alternatives are implemented to fund road infrastructure, without placing additional burdens on workers and the poor.

We also urge continued engagement with organised labour to ensure that future transport and infrastructure policies are people-centred, transparent, and inclusive.

COSATU remains committed to advocating for the rights and wellbeing of workers and will continue to monitor developments closely to ensure that this decision translates into real relief for all.

Issued by COSATU Gauteng