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3 licensing centres robbed in Pretoria: Here's how City of Tshwane aims to help motorists

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Tshwane - Following a spate of break-ins and theft at the Watloo, Akasia and Centurion license departments and the consequent frustrations experienced by motorists, the City of Tshwane has made provisions in terms of the Licensing Services Management in the City.

MMC for Community Safety, Derrick Kissoonduth, says: "In terms of the law, a driving license card holder may renew their licence at any licensing centre in the country, any other convenient testing centre may be approached in this regard.

"This implies that motorists need not get fines for expired license disks as they can renew these at any nearest post office." 

Here's a list of provisions for those affected:

  • A limited driving license card renewal service has been introduced at the Centurion Licensing Centre from Thursday, July 13 2017.
  • Applicants in possession of an Optometrist Eye Test Certificate will be assisted. However, due to the break-in, this service is unfortunately limited to approximately one hundred (100) clients per day.
 • Applicants who visit the Akasia and the Bronkhorstspruit Licensing Centres are encouraged to bring along an Optometrist Certificate. This reduces the renewal procedure. 

Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Solly Msimanga said he is "angered by these robberies and will do all that is within our power to ensure that those responsible for these robberies are brought to book."

Msimanga said: "This is why I will be conducting oversight visits to the affected licensing departments to see for myself the state of affairs and to determine what further, long-term steps will be taken by this administration to ensure that these robberies are prevented in future so that our people may get the necessary services they deserve." 

Incident 1 at Waltloo Licensing Centre 

The Waltloo Licensing Centre experienced a break-in on June 1, 2017 where equipment was stolen. The equipment stolen included: 
 • Seven live capturing unit computer systems used for eye testing and thumb imprint
 • E-Natis System Computers
 • One revenue information management system 
 • Three of the City's computers.      

Incident 2 at Waltloo Licensing Centre

The same Licensing Centre experienced a subsequent incident of robbery on June 20 2017, where security personnel and officials of the City got assaulted and injured by unknown assailants. The robbers escorted a security guard to the safe and stole an undisclosed amount of money.

The following services will be rendered at Waltloo Licensing Centre: 

Collection of drivers licenses;
 • application for learners and driving licenses; and
 • testing of learners and driving licenses.
 

City of Tshwane: "Unfortunately the centre will not be in a position to render professional driving license and driving license renewals until such time as the equipment has been replaced."

Centurion Licensing Centre
The Executive Mayor also had a brief report from the Acting Chief of Tshwane Metro Police Department, Malan, on the recent break-in at the Centurion Licensing Centre during the night of 4 July 2017.

Preliminary investigation underway has revealed the items that are missing due to theft to be inclusive of PCs, camera equipment and E-Natis screens.

The theft prompted an immediate shutdown of the Centurion Licensing Centre to allow the South African Police Services to conduct an investigation without hindrances.

 The Implications of this crime committed are: 
• From 6 July 2017, only learner license testing, driving license testing and driving license card collection can be sustained.
• No driving license card renewals are possible at this stage.
• Normalization of services as soon as is possible, are being negotiated. All stolen computer infrastructure, including procurement/installation and maintenance thereof fall under the jurisdiction of the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport in conjunction with the Driving License Card Account Entity (National Department of Transport). The nearest date for resumption of all services will be communicated in future.

Akasia Licensing centre

Located in the North of the Capital, the Akasia Licensing centre experienced a break-in on June 6 2017. City of Tshwane: "Fortunately nothing was taken, and the quick response time by Metro Police and SAPS yielded to the arrest of two people in this regard. The robbers attempted to access the safe but were unsuccessful.

"We are thankful to our men and women who acted quickly and swiftly in this regard and we will institute measures to ensure all responses to yield results such as at Akasia Licensing Centre. 

"Public are reminded that for driving license testing or related services they may visit any other operational centres. This means that Tshwane residents are not restricted to Tshwane centres."


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