I sit with a dilemma!
I was in Mozambique when the Gauteng e-toll raucous started, so I did not give it any serious thought.But I am back in South Africa now.
To get to the office I have to take the high-way (e-tolled) or I have to drive through town (I live on the other side of town). I drove through town for a couple of months, avoiding the toll-roads. Then recently I took the high-way. ... and my fuel consumption dropped dramatically.
I made a couple of calculations and found that the cost of my fuel consumption through town exceeds the cost of peak hour e-tolls. So I started taking the high-way meaning that I will be billed for using it.
... and just this is my dilemma. Thousands of people in Gauteng are apposed to e-tolling and refuse to pay their e-toll bills.
The reasons cited are:
I was in Mozambique when the Gauteng e-toll raucous started, so I did not give it any serious thought.But I am back in South Africa now.
To get to the office I have to take the high-way (e-tolled) or I have to drive through town (I live on the other side of town). I drove through town for a couple of months, avoiding the toll-roads. Then recently I took the high-way. ... and my fuel consumption dropped dramatically.
I made a couple of calculations and found that the cost of my fuel consumption through town exceeds the cost of peak hour e-tolls. So I started taking the high-way meaning that I will be billed for using it.
... and just this is my dilemma. Thousands of people in Gauteng are apposed to e-tolling and refuse to pay their e-toll bills.
The reasons cited are:
- the Government implemented the e-toll system without proper consultation (which I believe is true) .
- the Government did not consider other alternatives (I am sure that they may have given it the slightest considerations but they quickly forgot about the alternatives when they saw the alleged personal benefits of the e-toll system)
- the cost of the e-tolling system and just using the roads are prohibitive to families and businesses. (I can feel it in my pocket)
- and there are more reasons at the link OUTA - why-we-oppose-e-tolling.
So do I pay or don't I pay? I mean a log of friends and pastors I know have joined the protest not to pay e-toll. But are they right in doing it?
Making it more difficult for me is that I committed to seek-first-kingdom-of-God. so I decided to look at what the Bible is saying about civil disobedience and unjust governments. And this is opening another can of worms.
So I will study what the Biblical position on government is before I continue with this post.
So I will study what the Biblical position on government is before I continue with this post.
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