Nazir Alli

The SA National Roads Agency (SANRAL) has confirmed that CEO Nazir Alli has resigned. Even though they did not provide more details, Alli’s resignation comes in close on the heels of the recent Gauteng e-toll system disaster. Last week a High Court judge granted an interdict to halt the R20 billion Gauteng tolling project being rolled out by Sanral.

SANRAL chairperson Tembakazi Mnyaka said in a statement:

“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 South Africa. The board will ensure that SANRAL contributes to and cooperates with the deliberations now under way. Nazir Alli will continue in his post until June 3. We thank him for his contribution since SANRAL’s inception in 1998.”

In related news, in a letter to the Business Day newspaper yesterday, Alli said anti-tolling groups are desperate to find a “smoking gun” flaw in the multi-billion rand project.  He also lashed out at reports that one of the companies behind e-tolling is linked to a corporation involved in the arms deal. He said journalists should do more than just “amplify and speculate” on issues. Alli also called on the media to stop using “dial-a-quote politicians”.

[Source: Fin24]