A driver’s license testing centre in Sebokeng, standing incomplete and vandalised after more than a decade of construction, has become a stark symbol of failed service delivery and fiscal mismanagement in the Vaal region. The project, which has already blown past its original budget, now requires an additional R138 million to be completed, sparking outrage and concern from the local community.
Originally commissioned in 2015 with a planned completion date of 2016, the facility has languished as a notorious “white elephant.” According to a report by Newzroom Afrika, over R18 million has already been spent on the skeletal structure, which remains largely unusable and has fallen victim to vandalism.
The Gauteng MEC for Transport, recently briefed on the situation, has estimated a new completion target of February 2025. The MEC stated that interventions have now been made by the Department of Transport and that officials responsible for the project’s failures and the wastage of millions of rands are “being brought to book.”
However, for local residents and business owners, the delays represent a severe daily inconvenience. Driving school owners in the area expressed deep frustration, stating that they are forced to travel to facilities in Vereeniging to access services that should have been available locally for years.
The announcement of the need for a further R138 million in funding, a decade after construction began, has raised serious questions about project oversight and accountability. While the MEC promises completion early next year, community members remain skeptical, pointing to the vast gap between the millions already spent and the minimal progress visible on the ground.
The site now shows some signs of activity, but for the community of Sebokeng, the unfinished centre remains a costly monument to stalled promises.
