Government spokesperson, Jimmy Manyi, announced yesterday that the South African government had decided to appeal the High Court ruling interdicting the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) from implementing e-tolling, despite the appeal deadline lapsing.

The government only received the written judgment late yesterday regarding the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Programme (GFIP) tolling halt, and its lawyers are studying the document. It did not say whether it would apply to the court to condone the late appeal.

At the end of April, the North Gauteng High Court stopped the agency from implementing electronic tolls on the province’s freeways, pending a full court review of the issue after the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance requested an urgent interdict.

The Justice Project of SA (JPSA) is disappointed in Cabinet’s decision, as Sanral had indicated it would not appeal the court ruling.

To appeal is most certainly the right of anyone, including Cabinet. However, it is sad to see that in the face of such overwhelming public opposition to the unjustifiably high cost e-toll method of collecting monies to pay for the GFIP roads, government is persisting with its stance that this is a ‘done deal’ and we are just going to ‘have to’ accept it.”

What this does lead to is speculation that the government has something to hide and is determined to hide it – instead of allowing the review process to take its course.