Three traffic officials sentenced for corruption
The Road Traffic Management Corporation welcomes the sentencing of traffic officials on charges related to fraud and corruption.
Three officials, an examiner of licences, a traffic officer and an examiner of vehicles were given sentences ranging from R600 to two years imprisonment. The examiner of licences was arrested at Temba Driving Licence Testing Centre in Gauteng in July last year, after it was discovered that she had written a learner licence test on behalf of an applicant who was in Bloemfontein in Free State.
The 30 year-old official, Ms Nonceba Tania Hela, was found in the office of the manager when a member of the National Traffic Anti-Corruption went to the centre to investigate allegations of impropriety. She was in the company of a male believed to be the owner of a driving school operating from the Pretoria central business district.
The investigation revealed that Ms Hela had the applicant’s identification card in her possession and had fraudulently signed the application form on behalf of the applicant.
The Temba Magistrate Court sentenced Ms Hela to three months imprisonment with an option of a R600 fine. She was further sentenced to a five-year suspended sentence. Charges against the driving school owner were withdrawn due to insufficient evidence.
Meanwhile the Klerksdorp Magistrate Court has sentenced a North West Provincial traffic officer to four years imprisonment with two years suspended for five years on three counts of corruption. The 44 year-old officer, Mr Zahid Bhayad will serve two years direct imprisonment after he was arrested on the N12 between Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp in December 2017 following complaints by members of the public that he was extorting bribes from motorists.
In another case, the Roodepoort Magistrate Court sentenced a 60 year-old examiner of vehicles from a private vehicle testing station to a R40 000 fine or two years imprisonment plus a further two year imprisonment wholly suspended for five years.
Mr Gert van Onselen, who is employed by a privately owned Roodepoort vehicle testing station was arrested in September last year after it was found that he had declared a vehicle to be roadworthy while the vehicle was in a police pound in Reddersburg in the Free State.
The vehicle had been impounded because it had the following defects
- No reverse lights
- Passenger side sun-viser not fitted.
- No parking lights.
- Grill fastened with tie-strip
- Driver’s door not opening from inside
- Nuts missing from front wheels
- Oil leaks from the engine.
The RTMC reiterates its commitment in dealing with fraud and corruption and urges members of the public to report all suspicions of malfeasances, bribery, fraud and corruption by sending a WhatsApp message to 083293799 or sending an email to ntacu@rtmc.co.za.
Contact person:
Simon Zwane: Chief Communication Officer
Cell: 082 551-9892
Tel: 012 999 5200
