The civil rights organisation AfriForum today brought an application in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (Act No. 2 of 2000) to force the N1 and N4 Bakwena tollgate group to publish information regarding the decision to award discounts to certain communities for the regular use of the Bakwena tollgates on the N1 and N4.
This follows after AfriForum’s legal team sent a letter to the Bakwena group which requested information in this regard within seven days of receipt of this letter. The Bakwena group did not respond, however.
AfriForum’s PAIA application requests the following information:
- A copy of the concession contract that Bakwena and Sanral entered into 12 years ago when the N1 and N4 routes were built;
- The toll fees that were agreed upon at the signing of the contract, as per predetermined regulations as issued by Sanral;
- The regulations as was determined in the contract for awarding a discount to qualifying clients in particular geographic areas; and
- The criteria according to which the scope of the discount is determined.
“It is unacceptable and points to discrimination, as only certain communities may enjoy the benefit of this discount. Bakwena stipulates clearly in a document that only communities from Hammanskraal and Themba qualify for discount,” says Tiaan Oosthuizen, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for Gauteng North.