.jpg "Three licensing officials and a runner arrested on allegations of fraud and corruption")
The Road Traffic Management Corporation’s (RTMC) National Traffic Anti-Corruption Unit (NTACU) together with SAPS have arrested three licensing officials and a runner on allegations of fraud and corruption during an operation at Stutterheim Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC) yesterday, 26 March 2024.
The arrest follows a tip off that examiners from the Stutterheim DLTC are colluding with driving school instructors and runners to issue learner driving licences and driving licences to applicants who have not presented themselves physically to the licensing centre to be tested.
During the operation members of NTACU, an investigating division of the RTMC, requested the management representative of the DLTC to conduct an inspection in the learners driving licence testing room to verify whether all learners recorded to be writing were indeed physically present and busy writing. When the number of learners present did not correspond with the presented records the whereabouts of missing learners was questioned.
Further investigations led to an applicant who was about to be issued with a driving licence without being tested or being present at the testing centre. The applicant was found at her residential address in Port Elizabeth. She alleges that she never went to Stutterheim DLTC. She further confirmed that indeed she was expecting to be issued with a learner driving licence without being tested.
She explained that she had seen an advert on social media about getting a learner driving licence without physically going to a testing centre. She had paid a R500 deposit and submitted all relevant documentation and was informed she would be required to pay the remaining amount at a later stage. She also confirmed that she never conducted any eye test neither did she complete nor sign an application form. She was released upon agreement to become a state witness.
The arrested suspects include a management representative, who is alleged to have conducted the driving test, and examiner who conducted the eye test and a runner who was facilitating on behalf of the applicants.
In another matter, two suspects, appeared at Vrede Regional Court on allegations of fraud and corruption related to the issuing of learner licences. The two, a Learner Licence Examiner, Mr Sipho Malinga and a driving school operator, Mr Doctor Moloi appeared after they were arrested last year and are expected to plead to their charges when the case resumes on 10 April 2024.
This demonstrates a successful effort to root out corruption that contributes to the country’s high road crashes, injuries and fatalities. The RTMC commends all officers who were involved in both investigations.
The anti-corruption unit will keep a close eye on the conduct of law enforcement officers over the Easter period and members of the public are encouraged to report suspected acts of fraud, corruption, and malfeasance to [email protected] or by WhatsApp to 083 293 7989.
