Cabinet Approves SANRAL Plan for E-Toll Closure and Debt Write-Off

Posted 05 June 2026 Written by Acts Online
Category Corporate & Commercial

Brought to you by SAnews: In terms of the South African National Roads Agency Limited and National Roads Act, No. 7 of 1998, Cabinet has approved the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) plan to formally shut down the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP) e-toll system and write off outstanding road user debt.

Following the initial discontinuation of the electronic tolling system on 12 April 2024, Cabinet met on 3 June 2026 to finalise the closure of all matters associated with the historical recovery of e-toll debt. This includes the orderly resolution of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) litigation and the management of any residual litigation exposure.

Key aspects of the approved SANRAL plan include:

  • Debt Write-Off: Outstanding debt owed by road users who did not pay will be officially written off, with National Treasury servicing this debt.
  • No Refunds: Road users who complied and paid toll fees will not be refunded, as these payments were legally due under the regulations in force at the time.
  • Litigation Closure: All pending and residual legal disputes related to historical e-toll debt recovery are to be resolved.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: Note that historical e-toll payments made prior to the system’s shutdown are non-refundable, and no claims can be lodged for recovery.
  • For your business: Instruct financial and accounting teams to adjust balance sheets by writing off any outstanding e-toll liabilities previously provisioned for corporate fleets.
  • For your clients: Advise clients with outstanding GFIP toll disputes that outstanding liabilities are officially extinguished and related recovery litigation is being resolved.

Originally published at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/cabinet-approves-closure-e-tolls

The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Acts Online. Acts Online accepts no responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the article, nor does the information contained herein constitute advice, legal or otherwise.