Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele has welcomed the take-over of KwaMhlanga Licensing Centre by the Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison.
As of yesterday, 31 January 2012, operations at KwaMhlanga Licensing Centre have been taken over due to non-compliance to the National Road Traffic Act. During the intervention period, the administrators, chief licensing officer, examiners and security at the station will be replaced by provincial departmental officials who will run the station until the Thembisile Municipality demonstrates its ability to perform the functions effectively. Non-compliance include learner licence bookings being reserved for preferred candidates, interference by driving school owners in the booking system as well as reluctance to utilize the computerized licensing system.
Minister Ndebele has welcomed the take-over: “As the national Department of Transport, we welcome this intervention by the Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison, as part of government’s efforts to enhance service delivery at driver and vehicle licensing centres across the country. This follows numerous arrests, convictions, dismissals and de-registrations of government officials as well as private individuals over the past year with regards to fraud and corruption. Several testing centres have also subsequently been shut down. Further closures and arrests are imminent.
“We are closely monitoring testing stations as well as the entire testing station regulatory process such as testing stations not managing and/or controlling testing in accordance with relevant legislation. Various legislative amendments are also being considered in order to deal effectively with the issue of fraud and corruption. Over the past eight months, the Ministerial Task Team, appointed to investigate fraudulent cross-border roadworthy certificates in conjunction with law enforcement agencies including the Hawks, has been engaged in gathering evidence to verify the number of vehicles issued with roadworthy certificates in the various provinces as well as those vehicles that failed roadworthy tests, but were subsequently roadworthied at testing stations in other provinces,” said the Minister.
On 13 December 2011, two Mpumalanga traffic officers were suspended after they were found guilty of fraud. The two were convicted by the KwaMhlanga Magistrate's Court in November 2011, after one of the officers issued an upgraded driver's licence to the other without a test in 2008. The two officials were fined R20 000 each, with half the amount suspended.
On 16 January 2012, the case of three people accused of illegally helping members of the public to get learners' licences was postponed by the Worcester Magistrate's Court in the Western Cape police. The two traffic officers and a civilian were granted bail of R10 000 each.
Dumile Mkheta (21), Zandile Sophi (40) and Gary Choice (40) face charges of corruption and fraud. The group allegedly issued licences for R2 500 each, which was paid to a runner. The runner would SMS to the examiners the details of the member of the public that had paid the money, while the examiners are then alleged to have given crib notes to those that had paid.
On 27 January 2012, Dennis Januarie, a senior official in Uitenhage's traffic department, was fired after being found guilty of misconduct. Januarie was found guilty on 16 charges of dishonesty. He was found guilty of telling his staff to perform illegal transactions and for failing to perform his duties diligently, carefully and to the best of his ability. Januarie had allowed people applying for their driver's and learner's licences not to have their eyes tested. He also allowed the illegal conversion of foreign licences to South African licences.
Meanwhile, Minister Ndebele has instructed Department of Transport officials to engage the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), after a North West motorist was fined R15 000, suspended for five years, by the Brits Magistrate's Court on Monday (30 January) for driving at 200 km/h from Sun City to Pretoria. The fine, or 12 months' imprisonment, was suspended on condition that Fardeen Mahomed (22) did not commit a similar offence in the next five years. Mahomed was caught speeding in a BMW 330i on the N4, near Brits, on New Year's Day by North West traffic officials. The speed limit on the road is 120 km/h. He was on his way to Laudium.
“We have instructed our officials to engage the NPA on this sentence, and we will also bring this matter to the attention of the Minister of Justice. For similar offences, the courts have imposed heftier sentences, including heftier fines or imprisonment without the option of a fine, as well as suspension or cancellation of driving licences,” Minister Ndebele said.
On Monday, 30 January 2012, thirty (30) taxi drivers involved in illegal transportation of passengers and wrong routes were fined, and seven taxis impounded for operating without permits around Phokeng in the North West province. This traffic law enforcement operation, dubbed Hamba Kahle, is in support of the National Rolling Enforcement Plan.
Among those arrested during the special operation was a 31 year-old taxi driver who was arrested on the R565 Chaneng-Boshoek road, outside Phokeng, for overloading 45 learners in a 14-seater Toyota Quantum. The driver was allegedly transporting the learners from Boshoek Primary School to Phokeng when he was stopped by traffic officers. The same driver was earlier in the morning issued with a ticket for driving a taxi without an operating licence.
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