Following the arrests of several vehicle licensing officials in Estcourt and the closure of the Howick Driver and Learner Testing Centre, KwaZulu Natal (KZN) MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Mxolisi Kaunda, has put in place tough new measures to crack down on fraud and corruption at all traffic and licensing departments in the province.
According to Kaunda, this includes improving systems and processes to detect and prevent incidents. The MEC has vowed that police will fast-track investigations into vehicle testing and licensing fraud.
He will also conduct unannounced visits to several vehicle testing and licensing centres over the next few months. But more intervention is needed says Democratic Alliance KZN spokesperson for transport, Rafeek Shah.
“The DA has consistently raised the issue of widespread corruption at KZN’s testing centres. Such activities have horrific consequences with illegally acquired drivers’ licences being a significant contributing factor to the high crash rates in the province,” Shah said.
He pointed out that the issue of corruption at motor licensing bureaus and testing stations was endemic.
“Nor is corruption restricted to stations alone, it is also practised by some road traffic inspectorate (RTI) officials during law enforcement operations on our roads.
“The effect of corruption is not only a loss of state revenue. When corrupt officials allow motorists who speed, or who are driving vehicles that are not roadworthy, to proceed with their journey, the consequences for other road users are potentially disastrous,” said a Corruption Watch spokesperson.
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KZN MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Mxolisi Kaunda, has vowed to root out licensing fraud and corruption.
