Is your e-toll debt gone? Cabinet makes final decision
JOHANNESBURG — Cabinet has officially approved the complete write-off of all outstanding and unpaid e-toll debt, bringing a definitive end to the controversial Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) billing saga. The decision follows a recommendation by the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) to stop pursuing historical collections.
Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, confirmed the outcome of the Cabinet meeting, stating that National Treasury will now service the significant debt incurred by the project. The move effectively clears the financial burden from motorists who had refused to pay the tolls since the system’s inception in 2013.
However, the government has clarified that motorists who consistently paid their e-toll fees will not receive refunds. Minister Ntshavheni noted that because the levies were considered lawful at the time of payment, no reimbursement process will be initiated. This stance has been supported by the Department of Transport and Minister Barbara Creecy.
The closure of the e-toll chapter comes after years of public resistance and historically low compliance rates, which reportedly dipped to an average of 17.7% in early 2022. The system was officially deactivated in April 2024, but the status of the billions in outstanding arrears remained a point of legal and political contention until today’s announcement.
Under a previous agreement, the settlement of Sanral’s debt obligations is being split between national and provincial government. National Treasury has taken responsibility for 70% of the debt and interest, while the Gauteng provincial government is expected to cover the remaining 30%. This funding model was established to ensure Sanral remains financially viable despite the failure of the user-pay experiment in Gauteng.
While the e-toll system has been dismantled, Cabinet maintains that it remains committed to the user-pay principle for future infrastructure projects. However, the executive noted that such systems must be broadly accepted through negotiations and public agreement to avoid the widespread defiance that crippled the GFIP initiative.
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