Gauteng MEC for Transport and Logistics, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, has conducted an unannounced visit to the Midrand driving licensing testing centre (DLTC) in the City of Johannesburg to assess service delivery.
"This unannounced visit is part of our efforts to root out alleged corrupt activities at our testing centres. As a result, these corrupt activities not only hamper service delivery, but they are also felt on our roads with the high carnage due to some incompetent drivers," Diale-Tlabela said on Tuesday.
The MEC will be carrying out similar visits at various testing centres, as the department aims to tighten loopholes that make it possible for corruption to thrive following the forensic report into allegations of corruption, collusion and fronting at all testing centres across the province.
While emphasising the importance of adopting new ways of service provision and adapting to new technology, the MEC expressed concern over the manual filing system used at the Midrand centre.
She implored the management team to upscale production and output through improving their effectiveness and efficiency.
In 2021, the department appointed Ligwa Consulting to lead investigations into allegations of corruption at testing centres.
"As the forensic report indicated, the fraudulent activities and corruption are allegedly facilitated by our officials working with outside intermediaries. In other instances, officials employed at registration authorities offered preferential services to those who did not want to stand in queues in exchange for a fee. We need to double our corruption fighting efforts to bring an end to this," the MEC said.
The findings of the consultants' forensic report included the following, amongst others:
• Motorists are allegedly not paying arrears owed. Instead, they transfer ownership of motor vehicles to deceased persons, shelf entities, or even random individuals in cahoots with/assistance of licensing officials.
• Investigations uncovered a total of 4 912 potential fee dumping transactions within the province between the period 1 January 2008 to 31 March 2016, to the value of approximately R39 million.
• Several driving schools offered a “guaranteed pass”, where applicants did not have to do any studying or test.
• The production, by runners, of fraudulent eye test certificates using registered optometrists’ details and the sale of these to members of the public.
Source: South African Government News Agency