He says while the first phase of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Plan has delivered good road infrastructure, it was an expensive exercise that has drawn sharp views from the public. "All spheres of government should be part of a consultative process with all affected parties, consumers in the main. Good infrastructure is a necessity for a better future for our country, but this requirement must not leave our people even poorer," says Minister Ndebele.

Cabinet recently appointed a Task Team that includes Minister Ndebele and the Minister of Finance to look into the issue of toll roads. Minister Ndebele says all these processes, including a consultative processes initiated by the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, should be allowed to reach their logical conclusions to ensure that all parties concerned and their respective views are brought on board.

The City of Cape Town has welcomed the news. The City has been very concerned that the full impact of the N1/N2 tolling project on the economy and residents of Cape Town had not been fully investigated nor considered. The City declared an inter-governmental dispute with Sanral in July 2011 and more recently launched an application in the Cape High Court for an interdict to stop the project going ahead.

In a statement, Councillor Brett Herron said "We welcome the Department's intervention on this important issue and look forward to working with the Transport Department on finding appropriate funding mechanisms for road infrastructure construction and maintenance that does not hinder economic activity nor unfairly toll and discriminate against residents."

The DA will continue to pressure the department of transport and the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) until the proposed toll tariffs in Gauteng are scrapped completely, the party said on Monday. "We will continue to take a stand for the millions who will be negatively affected by this system," Democratic Alliance MPL Janet Semple said in statement.

"Jobs will be lost, the cost of living will increase and the marginalised members of our society will be asked to pay more from an ever diminishing pool of resources."

She said the party welcomed Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele's order to halt all processes relating to the toll, but were aware that Sanral was still pursuing the project. "The DA encourages the public not to register for the tolling system e-tags until issues are resolved," she said.

DA members protested against the tariffs at the Pan Africa Mall in Alexandra, north of Johannesburg, on Saturday. Protesters handed out pamphlets instructing people on how to campaign against the tolls. Similar protests took place in Nigel, on the East Rand, and Soshanguve, in Pretoria.