Gauteng Finance MEC Lebogang Maile said the provincial government set aside a budget of over R5 billion to settle the e-toll debt. Maile announced this during the tabling of the 2025/2026 financial year budget.

A LONG WAIT

The provincial government confirmed the agreement to pay the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) 30% of the R43 billion debt owed to it after scraping off e-tolls in 2024. Gauteng's head of Treasury, Ncumisa Mnyani, emphasised the importance of the government sticking to its debt obligations. "E-tolls have had a dent on our reserves as a province; hence, we are looking at other avenues in terms of how we augment our fiscus. At the same time, we can't be a responsible Treasury if, after we table this budget, we have zero cents in our bank account. We need to have reserves because emergencies erupt, and we would have to respond."

DEBT RELIEF

Maile said in 2023, the National Treasury approved five municipalities in Gauteng, namely, Emfuleni Local Municipality, Lesedi Local Municipality, Merafong City, Mogale City, and Rand West City, to participate in the Eskom Debt Relief Programme. "I must take this opportunity to congratulate Rand West City for being the first municipality in the country to receive a debt write-off of R279.7 billion from the ringfenced debt of R839.7 billion after complying with 14 conditions in the first cycle of the Eskom Debt Relief Programme. Emfuleni Local Municipality has also been granted a one-third write-off of its debt amounting to R1.9 billion from a ring-fenced debt of R5.9 billion. Mogale City has also recently received a relief of the Eskom debt amounting to R79 million, which is a one-third write-off of its debt, following compliance with conditions set out, said Maile.