Following the confirmation that South African Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) is not taking on any new projects, the DA will request that the new Transport Minister, Dipuo Peters, provide clarification on whether this means the road entity has put all current and future toll road projects on ice.

Yesterday, Sanral Chief Financial Officer, Inge Mulder, confirmed to the media that Sanral had not been able to take on any new work and was focused on funding the maintenance of its portfolio of roads. She said: "we are not putting out any new work; we are holding back on all expansion projects as well."

The DA will request that the Transport Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Ruth Bengu, summon the CEO of Sanral, Nazir Alli, together with the Minister of Transport, Dipuo Peters, to explain the status of all the entity's projects.

We will also submit parliamentary questions to Minister Peters requesting clarification on all Sanral toll road projects.

Earlier this year, Sanral confirmed that in addition to the N1-N2 Winelands toll road in the Western Cape, the N2 Wild Coast toll road in the Eastern Cape and e-tolls in Gauteng, the entity is considering building new toll-roads in the following areas:

N3 Durban to Pietermaritzburg;

N12 Kimberley to Johannesburg;

N1 Ring road at Musina;

N1 Kroonstad to Winburg; and

N1 Botlokwa Interchange and pedestrian facilities.

It is imperative that we get clarification whether the entity and the department have decided to halt these projects.

The DA remains opposed to the wholesale construction of toll roads in South Africa.

Toll roads will hit the poorest South Africans the hardest. They will increase the price of doing business, result in food price increases and will inevitably undermine economic growth and job creation.

Ian Ollis