The cloning vehicles and fraudulent issuing of driving licences are receiving the transport department’s urgent attention.

Transport minister Fikile Mbalula presented the findings of investigations by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Road Traffic Management Corporation (TMC) on Monday.

The SIU was mandated by a proclamation to investigate matters regarding the registration of motor vehicles, licensing of motor vehicles and the testing and issuing of roadworthy certificates. 

The unit was also tasked with investigating the testing and issuing of driving licences, learner’s licences, professional driving permits and issuing of operator fitness cards, the conversion of foreign licences to South African licences and tampering with data on the electronic National Traffic Information System (eNatis).

It presented an interim report identifying a number of administrative steps to be taken by various authorities. The SIU has until March 31 next year to complete the investigations and table a final report.

In its investigation, the SIU identified the drivers of the systemic and operational challenges that gave rise to corruption and malfeasance.

Mbalula said the backlog and desperate need for driving licences, roadworthy certificates and registration of vehicles led to fraudulent conduct.

Corrupt officials and criminal middlemen exploit systemic weaknesses and there is lack of and/or weak management and oversight.

Roadworthy certificates were issued without vehicles being tested, driving licence testing centre (DLTC) officials sold unlawful licences and “money dumping” occurred.

“Money dumping” refers to traffic fines, e-toll invoices, infringements and licence fees being dumped on deceased people’s records.

Mbalula said some driving schools paid driving licence examiners to issue licences irregularly or fraudulently.  

Thanks to the SIU, 99 acknowledgment of debt documents worth R45.7m had been signed, with the value of cash recovered at R3.8m.

Mbalula said the value of cash recovered through the seizure of 375 illegally imported vehicles during joint operations with the RTMC, Hawks, the South African Revenue Service (Sars) and the SIU in the Eastern Cape stood at R52.7m.

In addition, 190,190 driving licences have been referred to transport MECs for cancellation and 190,173 driving licences issued to people who have since died were referred for cancellation on eNatis.

Mbalula said 86 arrests were made for fraud and/or theft during joint operations by the RTMC, the Hawks, Sars and the SIU.

These were 36 vehicle testing examiners, 10 eNatis officers, 26 DLTC officials, three police officers, four provincial department of transport inspectors and seven members of the public.

Last month, the National Assembly passed the National Road Traffic Amendment Bill, which addresses a number of areas covered by the SIU investigations, and includes regulation of driving schools.

“The bill provides us with more instruments to aggressively tackle the challenge of corruption in the vehicle and driver licensing system,” Mbalula said.

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