SANRAL has noted that Outa is admitting that it has made basic mistakes in its so-called “research report” on the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project.  It now blames “typing errors” for this 100 000% blunder.

Sadly, Outa continues to misinform the public about the real length of the freeway construction project and compares costs of a rural road in crossing through Botswana with a modern freeway in Africa’s most advanced economic region.

Vusi Mona, the spokesperson of SANRAL says Outa is now backtracking on its initial statements and trying to explain the fact that it has still not responded to more than 400 questions from SANRAL a week after the deadline has expired.

“Our big concern is not merely about the shoddy research of Outa – but the fact that it has published conclusions about GFIP based on these basic errors,” says Mona.

“Over the past four years it has impugned SANRAL’s reputation and tried its level best to hurt our credit rating – something any sensible South African should desist from. Now it is quite clear it was basing its statements on discredited calculations.”

“We are also concerned that Outa continues to describe e-tolling as ’illegal’ and ’unlawful’. It is disregarding judgements in the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal that confirmed the validity of the system and the public participation process that preceded it.

“Outa’s disregard for the decisions of our courts speaks volumes about its attitude towards the country’s judiciary. It will respect the judiciary, it would seem, only when it hands out judgments that are favourable to it,” Mona said.