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Johannesburg - ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe has lashed out at the Gauteng ANC, warning they must not use the upcoming national general council (NGC) as a "scarecrow" to threaten the party on issues, the City Press reported on Sunday.
"If you have an issue, you don't raise it publicly and threaten the ANC," Mantashe was quoted as saying.
"You don't use the NGC as a scarecrow. The purpose of the NGC is to assess the implementation of party conference resolutions."
The NGC is due to start on June 26 next year.
Mantashe was responding to the ANC Gauteng's opposition to e-tolling.
He said the focus on e-tolls was a narrow debate, and that Gauteng wanted to create a smart city region that would transform the province into a world-class hub. This meant upgrading infrastructure.
The Gauteng ANC branch wanted e-tolling to be reviewed and in July, Gauteng premier David Makhura established a panel to examine the system's socio-economic impact.
On September 25, President Jacob Zuma signed into law the Transport Laws and Related Matters Amendment Bill, giving the go-ahead for e-tolling in Gauteng.
The e-toll system started operating on December 3 after several court challenges to halt the project.
