ONCE in a while a messiah lands in our midst. For thousands who have reached the end of their tether in a bid to get a driver's licence, David Thulare is such a Godsend.

ONCE in a while a messiah lands in our midst. For thousands who have reached the end of their tether in a bid to get a driver's licence, David Thulare is such a Godsend.

The Gauteng magistrate says after all their troubles, he will never convict these tortured souls for driving without licences.

After all, it is the system that has failed them. They have tried several times to get appointments at various traffic departments for driver's tests but to no avail.

Eighteen months on and the temporary licences expire, making them illegal and liable for prosecution.

Thulare is ready to get them out of jail. The government cannot criminalise people because of its own shortcomings, he says.

Sock it to them, sir.

The citizenry has been complaining for far too long about lax, incompetent and rude public servants.

Home Affairs, Social Development or Human Settlement ... they are littered with fraud that creates nightmares for the people they are supposed to serve.

Ministers, including President Jacob Zuma, have become Kid Promises after countless threats to act against these swindlers.

It seems nothing will persuade them to do a decent day's work.

That is why we can only sing Thulare's praises. He is throwing the book right back at civil servants.

We hope Transport Minister Sbu Ndebele and his colleague in the Justice Department, Jeff Radebe, are listening.