Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga has confirmed that her department is putting in the structures necessary to implement Aarto, including the appointment of the members of the Aarto Appeals Tribunal.

‘We are in the process of doing that because if you do the Aarto rollout, the tribunal must be in place,’ Chikunga said. 

Moneyweb reports that she said the department is finalising the process so that it can be submitted to President Cyril Ramaphosa who will appoint the tribunal members.

‘We are trying hard (to ensure) that it gets to the President before the elections so he can approve that and we can move forward.’

Chikunga said the structure of the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) also has to be finalised ‘and then, of course, the Aarto rollout’.

She was speaking on the sidelines of a dialogue on the State of Road Safety in SA, which coincided with this week’s launch of the UN Global Campaign For Road Safety.

RTIA CEO Matsemela Moloi said the implementation of Aarto has been delayed by court cases but this was resolved last year.

Moloi said the next step now is for Ramaphosa to sign a proclamation declaring the municipalities that will become Aarto municipalities.

Moneyweb notes that the reference to court cases relates to the July 2023 Constitutional Court judgment unanimously overturning a November 2022 judgment by the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) that declared the Aarto Act and Aarto Amendment Act unconstitutional and invalid.

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse brought the application to the Constitutional Court to confirm the judgment of the High Court.

Full Moneyweb report