Still Getting E-toll Bills? Gauteng Premier Calls for Patience as Motorists Demand Answers

If you thought saying goodbye to e-tolls in Gauteng last year meant the end of billing headaches, you’re not alone. But some motorists are still scratching their heads after e-toll statements continue to arrive in their inboxes — months after the gantries were officially deactivated.

And now, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi is asking residents to hang tight a little longer.

“We’re Still Waiting Too,” says Lesufi

Speaking during a sitting of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature on Tuesday, Lesufi responded to growing concerns about post-scrapping e-toll bills. He acknowledged that his office had met with Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and Sanral back in January to thrash out remaining issues — including these stubborn statements that refuse to go away.

“We had extensive discussions,” Lesufi said, explaining that the national Department of Transport and Sanral’s board have since taken over the matter. “We agreed to leave all e-toll-related matters in their hands. Once they finalise their proposals, we’ll give the public a full update.”

That update is still pending.

The Bills That Won’t Die

The opposition in the Gauteng Legislature, led by DA member Solly Msimanga, didn’t hold back. He pushed for answers on why motorists continue to receive bills from a system that was scrapped more than a year ago — on 11 April 2024, to be exact.

Msimanga also demanded clarity on whether the province was still pursuing historical debt from before the shutdown. He raised concerns about Sanral’s billing systems and questioned whether any steps had been taken to prevent administrative slip-ups from landing on the shoulders of everyday drivers.

The public, meanwhile, is growing restless. On platforms like X (formerly Twitter), users have vented their frustration, calling the post-e-toll bills “infuriating” and “confusing”. Others are simply ignoring the notices altogether.

Gauteng’s Share of a Very Big Bill

Though the gantries may be off, the e-toll saga is far from over. In 2022, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana revealed that Gauteng had agreed to shoulder 30% of the debt incurred by the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project — the formal name for the e-tolls project — with national government covering the remaining 70%.

The province has already started paying its share: in September 2024, it made its first payment of R3.8 billion, including R546 million earmarked for road maintenance. The full bill? A staggering R12.9 billion, to be paid in equal instalments over five years.

Lesufi previously admitted that these repayments would stretch the provincial budget and require “prudent financial management” to avoid compromising basic service delivery.

So What Now?

For now, the ball is firmly in national government’s court. Premier Lesufi has reiterated that he, too, is waiting on an official update from Minister Creecy and the Sanral board before the provincial executive can address Gauteng residents directly.

Until then, those unexpected e-toll statements might keep showing up — whether we like it or not.

Source:IOL

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