The Gauteng e-tolling debate is picking up pace again and it seems as if the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) and government are scrambling to spin the benefits of the controversial system any which way they can. Even if what they are saying is completely preposterous –more so than before.

Government’s increasingly less subtle overtures towards controlling the free flow of information and monitoring of personal communication should be a red flag for all South Africans who espouse the values of democracy.