Pretoria - Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele has welcomed the taking over of operations at the KwaMhlanga Licensing Centre by the Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison.
Operations at the centre were taken over on Tuesday due to the centre's non-compliance with the National Road Traffic Act. This included learner licence bookings being reserved for preferred candidates, interference by driving school owners in the booking system as well as reluctance to utilise the computerised licensing system.
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.
Ndebele said this taking over was part of government's efforts to enhance service delivery at driver and vehicle licensing centres across the country.
"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," he said.
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.
Ndebele said various legislative amendments were also being considered in order to deal effectively with the issue of fraud and corruption.
Over the past eight months, the Ministerial Task Team (in conjunction with the Hawks), appointed to investigate fraudulent cross-border roadworthy certificates, has been engaged in gathering evidence to verify the number of vehicles issued with roadworthy certificates, while those vehicles were not roadworthy.
