E-Toll Angst

Well, the E-Tolls are here, and with them, a strong drive to a civil disobedience boycott campaign. The vast majority of people in Gauteng refuse to accept them, and aim to make SANRAL work hard for every penny, if at all. Somewhere in the dark hole that is the existence of the South African consumer, there is a niggling hope that something will change, that something will happen to undermine and/or challenge this new law. And the noise from the unions, from certain opposition political parties, suggests that something may change if we as a society stay the course of non-adherence with E-Tolls.

There are obvious reasons as to why there is such mistrust:

Firstly, South Africans don't trust that the money from e-tolls will be used to better the province, and have a feeling that the money exists only to the line the pockets of the corrupt government officials, and overseas businesses who introduced the scheme to Gauteng.

Secondly, that it impacts the pockets of an already over-exerted consumer in a tough local economy, with a shocking rand/dollar exchange and low consumer confidence.

Finally, the lack of consultation with the Gauteng constituency resulting in what appears to be a unilateral decision taken without care for the plight of consumers and businesses. 

I know that the E-Tolls are wrong. But i'm confused as to how to respond in my personal capacity.

I won't buy into the rhetoric on social media who are saying that by submitting to E-Tags,  to direct quote from bytes I have seen on social platforms - "you are getting raped", "the government will steal your money and your house will be burgled". An alarming one that i've heard is "A friend with an e-tag is not my friend".

I am concerned that reducing the discourse to online bullying and intimidation in the name of a non-compliance campaign is indicative of a broader problem amongst the South African middle class. We are hopeless about the fact that the ANC as our leadership seems immovable, that we are destined for another 5 years of worsening corruption and abuse of power, and if not, then we can expect ultra left wing parties such as Malema's EFF to grow in power. So what do we do? We refuse to buy E-Tags, refuse to comply with the law, moan about it around our dinner tables, tweet our anger, instagram photos of gantries. In my opinion, this approach is a futile resistance that will have no constructive outcome.

It's an election year. This is why these scandals are all going down and there is such outcry. Why don't we harness our anti-government and civil disobedient behaviour into actively supporting the political party that we believe will make the changes we want to see in South Africa? Why don't we expend our energy in furthering South Africa's legacy as one of the most miraculous democracies in the world by driving change where it really counts - at the ballot box? I would rather get an e-tag but attend a DA driven anti e-toll rally, then not get an e-tag and pay a fortune in unpaid tolls down the line, while not impacting any meaningful change

In short, avoiding the e-toll payments, while no doubt a noble and righteous cause, is potentially dangerous road that will hurt you where it counts most - in your pockets. Focus on the elections, support a political party that has a chance, and actively drive a profound change in government in 2014. Don't give up on democratic means just because you've lost hope in democracy. We as a society need to be optimistic that what's right will eventually win, and we need to learn as individuals to be more forceful in driving and supporting the process of meaningful democratic change.

So what will I do? I'm not sure yet. All i know is that i'm definitely not voting ANC in the next election, and that maybe I will do more than just passively support my political party of choice in the run-up. I want E-Tolls out as much as the next person, but i'm not going to be a criminal or waste my hard earned cash in unpaid tolls to get rid of them. I may very well get an E-Tag in the next week. And if you that makes you not want to be my friend, that's your prerogative.