**1. Introduction**

The network of freeways in Johannesburg has reached its peak, in a province that contributes about 38% to the GDP [1]. There was a lot of ballyhoo around the roll out of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP). South African National Roads Agency Ltd. (SANRAL) is charged with managing all the main roads linking all the economic hubs, towns and small villages. The national network is used for economic advancement, tourism, social upliftment and unlocking financial possibilities [1]. The Government Gazette [2], the SANRAL and National Roads Act, 1998 (South Africa, Act No. 7 1998) [3] as publicised by the Government Notice No. 30912 of 28 March 2008 [4] authorises SANRAL to charge user fees on specific roads in Johannesburg. The roads are N1 sections 20 and 21, N3 section 12, N4 section 1 and N12 sections 18 and 19. Government Notice No. 31273 as of 28 July 2008 [5] added R21 sections 1 and 2. SANRAL is equally tasked with capping the toll charges on motorists and the monitoring thereof.

On its completion, the project to uplift the web of roads in and around Gauteng metros was meant to increase the breadth of the road to four lanes and sometimes to six [6]. The project was phased such that the first part was to refurbish the

existing 185 km stretch and the second part was to construct and/or refurbish a further 376 km. The chief benefit of the scheme is to smoothen the traffic flow at critical interchanges (ibid.). The first encompasses Allandale, Rivonia, William Nicol, Gillooly's and Elands intersections. What will be provided at final completion is an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) based on cameras, the median lighting, smart electronic boards together with the latest traffic management enhancements (ibid.). These improvements are meant to deliver efficient traffic flow and lessen gridlocks as accidents-induced bottlenecks will be disseminated to road users to avoid idle time.

Electronic Toll Collection otherwise known as E-Toll was adopted. This system works by an e-tag displayed on the windscreen of a vehicle. The vehicles are not required to stop at gantries in these e-roads as this Open Road Tolling (ORT) allows the tags to be electronically recognised and read automatically. This toll collection system not only deducts the pre-loaded money on the e-tag transponders but they also recognises the vehicle number plate. If the driver does not have an account with SANRAL the bill is send via post to their address, the number plate would have been recognised in front and at the back and link to a person registered as the owner of the vehicle. The gantry equipment also enables it to measure the vehicle for classification purposes. Gauteng has 43 gantries along the N1, N3, N12 and R21. These overhead gantries are spaced approximately every 10 km (or between interchanges) [7].

The scheme was buffeted from all side from the get go by diverse organisations. The groupings decrying its unconstitutionality are religious associations, civic organisations and political parties; two groupings notably stood apart in their opposition. These groupings are Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (OUTA) and Confederation of South African Trade Unions (COSATU). OUTA emerged as an association of haulage lorries owners and car hire companies owners in Johannesburg. This association has evolved and adopted a new identity christening itself Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse whilst retaining the original acronym, as it has now morphed so many interests seeking to root out any tax abuse incidents by authorities. OUTA constitution treats the tolling of the GFIP, as unacceptable due to what it considers to have been a shallow and consultation process with respect to the private companies and the general populace. OUTA advocates against overburdening the local populace with more taxes when there is already an escalation of fuel prices. Furthermore, the adverse ramifications on the Gauteng economy because of the extra cost of the private project management during its operation; opaqueness on the calculation of the charges; how the collected funds will be utilised; worries about the finer details that are not debated properly like the curbing number cloning and protection of citizens privacy as private companies will access their bank details; legal legitimacies of seeming ceding of public Gauteng assets to SANRAL; environmental imperatives due to the envisaged congestions due to the small number of alternative roads [8]. The general populace's perception and the strategies utilised to consult them was the goal of this study. The lessons garnered here will be instructive in future similar projects. This is pertinently so as this speaks directly to corporate governance in South Africa.

Corporate governance is concerned with how corporate problems are dealt with among diverse stakeholders. It seeks to solidify predictable reconciliation protocols for myriad disputes where there are conflicting interests among claimholders [9]. This is a quest to ensuring that there are appropriate processes and controls balancing the smorgasbord of interests from among others the employees, customers and the community [10]. Institutions/companies that adhere and advance good corporate governance are hardly in the news because good corporate governance reduces scandals that the tabloids thrive on. So a very well-structured corporate

*South African E-Toll Consultation SAGA: Corporate Governance Lessons for Public… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.103054*

governance structure should focus on four P's of corporate governance which are people, process, performance and purpose [11]. The study looks at the process of public consultation and the regard of the general populace in implementing the E-toll project.

The aim of the study was to assess the extensiveness of the public consultation process for the GFIP project. With the objectives geared toward investigate the public engagement methods deployed during the project. To determine the main purpose of the public engagement process; identify any alignment with international best practice. And finally to consolidate the lessons for future improved consultation initiatives.
