Outgoing Minister Mbalula leaves the driving licence system in CHAOS

Outgoing transport minister Fikile Mbalula is taking up the ANC’s secretary-general role, and he will be replaced in the ministerial position by Sindisiwe Chikunga. However, Mbalula has left the driving licence system in chaos.

MINISTER FIKILE MBALULA LEFT WITHOUT PROVIDING CLARITY ON MAJOR ISSUES

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a slew of changes to his cabinet on Monday, 6 March 2023. Sindisiwe Chikunga replaces Fikile Mbalula as transport minister.

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According to Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) Fikile appears to have done little to resolve the chaos in his portfolio.

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Here are the problems OUTA wants to resolve:

HERE ARE THE PROBLEMS OR ISSUES

1. The extension of the validity of the licence cards;
2. The procurement and use of a new card production machine to replace the one that breaks down; and
3. A clear plan for the widespread corruption and waste in the Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC) system and transport entities.

“At the end of the day, the buck stops with the Minister of Transport,” 

Andrea van Heerden, OUTA Senior Legal Project Manager.

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OUTA WANTS VALIDITY PERIOD OF LICENCE CARDS TO BE EXTENDED

 Van Heerden said OUTA once again calls on the Minister to publish regulations extending the validity period of the driving licence cards.

OUTA wants the validity period to be extended from the current five years to 10 years.

She said the extension requires a change in regulations, which is a simpler process than changing legislation. In 2013, the then Minister Dipuo Peters gazetted regulations extending the validity to 10 years but later withdrew this without explanation.

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WHEN WILL THE NEW LICENCE CARD PRODUCTION MACHINE BE REPLACED

“We respectfully do not understand the delay as the Minister can easily effect the change by publishing the new regulations in the Government Gazette.”

Andrea van Heerden, OUTA Senior Legal Project Manager.

In September 2020, OUTA wrote to Minister Mbalula, calling for the card validity to be extended to 10 years and providing a short study to back up this call, to save both motorists and the government time and money. 

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