By Obakeng Maje
Zeerust- The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West province wants to be on record that it will not suspend its action until the solution is found on the most expensive toll gate which continues to increase poverty to the people of the North West, including the users of the N4 toll gate.

“We want to confirm and appreciate that the office of the minister and that of acting DDG was able to convene the first task team meeting on Tuesday to deal with the challenges that both the federation and SANCO have raised in our memorandums” Cosatu provincial secretary Solly Phetoe said.

The task team meeting agreed to take up the issues to a subcommittee that will deal with the following issues:

•The reduction of the fees.
•The proposed provincial government reduction from R75 to R58 linked to COSATU’s demand.
•The alternative roads for those who will not be able to pay the fees.
•The current state of our North West roads.
•The consultation processes that was flooded by certain individuals
•The current state of the discount that is benefiting few people, in particular farmers in the surrounding area, and how it can be extended to the rest of the poor working class and the daily users of the expensive toll gate.

The issues in dispute are the following:

•Government to release the concession contract to the public;
•Government to investigate how the concession contract was awarded, who are the beneficiaries and how did it come to the building of the expensive toll gate.
•The government refused to investigate the allegation of the R11milion given to the municipality of Kgetleng.
•The issue of suspending the payment of the toll gate until a solution is found.
•COSATU refuses to suspend its action against the toll until a solution is found.
•The termination of the contract and hand over the road to government

“We are happy that the minister has established the task team to deal with issues we raised and we are happy that there will be no increase to the Swartruggens expensive toll gate until solution is found on the demands of the federation” Phetoe said.

He said this confirms that the toll gate is a burden to the poor working class and is expensive to the workers.

The task team and its subcommittee members are given two months to give the progress report to the broader team.

Cosatu said they will continue with the fight until they see the commitment of the Department of Transport and the Provincial Government in responding positively to their call in particular for the reduction of the toll gate fees.

“We are proceeding with our planned action on 16th May 2014 from 14h00 until 17h30” he outlines.

“We call on the media to support our program. We are calling on all the motorists to support our program, as they will also benefit from the demands. Our communities in Gatling municipality must continue to support our program.”

Phetoe said they are also requesting the police to allow their action to proceed peacefully and stop to provoke the protesters.
He also calls on the Provincial Commissioner to deploy police who will respect the masses of the people so that they are also able to respect the police.

“Those who come to our marches with instructions to arrest or to shoot workers and communities or protesters must not come. We are pleading for a peaceful picket and demonstration as we have been granted permission to proceed under the Gatherings Act.
Let us all meet at the toll gate 14h00 to 17h30” he concludes.-TDN
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