Publications
Partners
‘Tell no lies, claim no easy victories,” wrote revolutionary theorist Amílcar Cabral, way back in 1965.
As a party whose members claim to be versed in revolutionary politics, the ANC appears to have forgotten to include this very popular bit of literature from the Bissau-Guinean author in their political school curriculum, because all they seem to do ahead of elections is lie and claim victories for others’ hard-won battles.
The party in Gauteng is now trying to spin the demise of e-tolls as some great gift from a benevolent government to its people, after “listening to the citizens”.
Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga and Premier Panyaza Lesufi have officially scrapped e-tolls in Gauteng and switched off the e-toll gantries pic.twitter.com/c89fPqUDrj
— News Live SA (@newslivesa) April 11, 2024
It is almost as if the party believes motorists have forgotten the years of court cases and the threats against those who refused to pay.
READ: Chikunga: 'Sorry for e-tolls, but you're still expected to pay your debts'
It behaves as if the constant promises of having the tolling system scrapped ahead of two previous elections, after which national government promptly made U-turns and declared that motorists simply had to suck it up, never happened.
Not only that, but it would continue levying charges right up until the gantries were switched off at midnight on 11 April.
So even now, while declaring itself the victor in its own failed project and expecting the public to thank it for scrapping e-tolls at the ballot box next month, it continues to insist that we must bear the cost of its mistake. Talk about a complete lack of self-awareness!
READ: 'Ending e-tolls ahead of elections will be no use to the ANC' - Outa
Instead, kudos must go to organisations such as Outa, which waged a battle against the system in the courts and defended more than 2 000 motorists who were dragged there by Sanral over e-toll debt. Do not forget those who stood firm for years, despite threats of legal action and having their licence renewals refused.
As for you, ANC, learn to tell no lies and claim no easy victories. For God’s sake, show some humility in defeat, instead of trying to gaslight an entire population into thinking you are not to blame for the past 11 years of e-toll nonsense.
