Sanral CEO Nazir Alli has resigned, the agency said on Tuesday. Alli would continue in his post until 3 June, chairman Tembakazi Mnyaka said in a statement.
The board accepted the resignation at a meeting on Monday. He thanked Alli for his contribution since Sanral’s inception in 1998. Sanral did not give reasons for Alli’s resignation.
“The immediate focus and priority of the board is to ensure that Sanral continues to perform its essential role in operating and maintaining more than 16 000km of national roads across SA,” Mnyaka said.
Mnyaka said processes had been initiated by national government to address Gauteng freeway upgrades, known as the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP), and e-tolling, the start of which was halted by a court order on 28 April.
“The board will ensure that Sanral contributes to and co-operates with the deliberations now underway,” he said.
On Friday, cabinet appointed a special committee, to be chaired by deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe, to co-ordinate work around the GFIP. The committee would, among other things, try and ensure Sanral’s financial stability was not affected by the halt to e-tolling. The toll fees would have been used to repay Sanral’s R20bn debt.
The Democratic Alliance said last week it had asked Public Protector Thuli Madonsela to probe e-toll collection contracts. A full court review would be carried out to determine the future of the Gauteng tolling system. — Sapa
