Cape Town - Transport Minister Sandisiwe Chikunga says her department has taken several steps to work with the SAPS to identify and apprehend individuals and syndicates responsible for the massive corruption at Driving Licence Testing Centres (DLTCs).
Responding to parliamentary questions from IFP MP Khethamabala Petros Sithole, Chikunga said the department’s compliance directorate works closely with the SAPS and provides evidence and expert witness statements in major police operations.
“Both my department and the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), a corporation of my department, are therefore actively pursuing investigations into allegations of irregularities and bringing such cases with supporting evidence to the attention of the SAPS.
“Several such investigations are ongoing throughout the country,” she said.
Chikunga also said the RTMC reported that the National Traffic Anti-Corruption Unit investigated 247 cases of fraud and corruption in the 2022-23 financial year and made 96 arrests in collaboration with the SAPS.
The minister said her department was engaging with the Department of Home Affairs to establish a link between the National Traffic Information System (NaTIS) and the former’s systems by ensuring that they transacted with people who were legally in the country.
“Biometric verification is used to authenticate users on login. The biometric verification is currently deployed in the Smart Enrolment Units and will be deployed for the revised Computerised Learner’s Licence Testing within this financial year.
“The functionality will be extended to high-risk transactions when the applicant must be present.”
Chikunga said the online booking system was currently used at all testing centres in Gauteng and two metropolitan municipalities in the Eastern Cape to address collusion and fraudulent practices with bookings for tests.
“The solution is being rolled out in the Free State,” she said.
Asked about the backlog on processing licences, Chikunga said her department was working closely with DLCA (driving license card account) to deal with the current backlog.
“The current backlog is, however, not a result of irregular activity at the DLTCs but as a result of maintenance on the card production machine that is taking longer than expected.
“The card production machine has been in operation since 1998 thus it is obsolete and prone to constant breakdown.
“These breakdowns result in driving licence backlogs which the department has been able to address once the machine is repaired and is in operation,” she said.
Chikunga said a permanent solution to the problem was the replacement of the old machine with a new modern one.
“This is under way as part of the rolling out of the new driving licence card, which was approved by Cabinet in August last year.”
Cape Times