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- Findings of Special Investigations Unit and Road Traffic Management Corporation investigations have revealed "a chain of corrupt activities".
- These activities were found at licence-issuing centres, including driving schools and 44 cases have been referred to the National Prosecuting Authority for prosecution.
- The SIU has vowed it will leave no stone unturned in uncovering corruption.
The head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), advocate Andy Mothibi, says they will leave no stone unturned in uncovering corruption within the Department of Transport and road traffic entities.
On Monday, Mothibi, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula and Road Traffic and Management Corporation (RTMC) CEO advocate Makhosini Msibi briefed the media about the findings of investigations undertaken by the SIU and RTMC.
The SIU has presented an interim report identifying several administrative actions that various authorities should take. The unit has until March next year to complete the investigations and table a final report.
During the briefing in Pretoria, Mothibi said investigations have uncovered "a chain of corrupt activities" in various licence-issuing centres, including driving schools, officials, and willing participant citizens.
"Those corrupt crooks that are involved in this should know that we know how they infiltrate the system," he added.
According to Mbalula, the SIU managed to identify the "drivers of the systemic and operational challenges that gave rise to corruption and malfeasance".• Backlog and desperate need for driving licences, roadworthy certificates, registration of vehicles drive fraudulent conduct.
• Corrupt officials and criminal middlemen exploit systemic weaknesses.
• Negligent and/or incompetent officials, some of whom have access to the eNatis system.
• Inadequate compliance monitoring by relevant authorities.
• Lack of and/or weak management and oversight.
• Lack of standard operating procedures across national, provincial, local authorities and private institutions.
• Lack of MoU with local authorities, driving licencing testing centres (DLTC), private vehicles testing centres and private institutions,
• No agreed minimum performance standards for officials and/or employees.
• No financial autonomy resulting in inadequate resourcing.
• Legislative gaps.
• Greed which drives irregular and criminal behaviour.
• Roadworthy certificates issued without vehicles been tested.
• Unlawful selling of licences by DLTC officials to private persons.
• Money dumping. This relates to traffic fines; SANRAL e-toll invoices, AARTO infringements, Licence fees, dumped on deceased persons records or persons with duplicate identifications in the form of a South African identity number of traffic register number.
• Driving schools paying driving licence examiners to issue licences irregularly and/or fraudulently.
• The conversion of false foreign licences into South African card licences.
• The authorisation of roadworthiness without vehicle testing.
However, he said, there were some achievements through the work of the SIU which included 99 acknowledgement of debt documents signed to the value of R45 721 308.75.
Mbalula added the actual value of cash recovered through this process stood at R3 845 264.95.
Meanwhile, cash recovered through the seizure of illegally imported vehicles during joint operations with the RTMC, Hawks, SARS, and SIU, in respect of 375 vehicle recovered in Eastern Cape stood at more than R52 million, he said.
The minister added 190 190 driving licences have been referred to relevant MECs for cancellation, and another 190 173 issued to people who have since died have been referred for cancellation on eNatis.
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Mbalula said 44 cases had been referred to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for prosecution, while 128 have been referred to various authorities for disciplinary, executive and/or administrative action.
He added 86 arrests have so far been made for fraud and/or theft during joint operations by the RTMC, Hawks, SARS, and SIU.
Mbalula said these were made up of 36 vehicle testing examiners, 10 eNatis officers, 26 DLTC officials, three police officers, four provincial Department of Transport inspectors and seven private persons.
"Over the last year, we have been working with MECs and SALGA [SA Local Government Association] to implement a number of interventions that are intended to address the root causes of these systemic and operational challenges.
"At the core of these interventions is a seamlessly integrated value chain guided by a single standard under the leadership of the RTMC," he added.
