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Massive licence fraud crackdown in South Africa

Over the past few months, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) in partnership with various law enforcement agencies tracked down and arrested dozens of suspects linked to fraudulent licensing activities as part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal vehicle and driver’s licences in South Africa.

Fraudulent licences are a pervasive issue in the country costing government over R2.1 billion in lost revenue in recent years.

The RTMC thus launched an operation in July 2024 to clamp down on fraud and corruption by the issuers and holders of vehicle and driver’s licences.

Ilegal licences are major contributors to the carnage on the country’s roads as drivers may not have the necessary skill set, or vehicles may not comply with regulations, and they are therefore more prone to causing accidents.

This also places an unnecessary burden on the Road Accident Fund, leading to delays and compromises in the payouts of legally licensed individuals who were involved in crashes.

The RTMC has identified Mpumalanga as an area of interest with over R1.2 billion in missing licence fees to be recouped in the province.

The Free State, Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal have been marked as hotspots, too.

Since the operation was launched, the RTMC has announced the arrest of over 50 suspects ranging from examiners and traffic officers to driving school operators and applicants.

The long arm of the law

On 27 August 2024, the RTMC revealed that it tracked down and nabbed a Limpopo examiner at the Lebowakgomo Licensing Centre.

The suspect allegedly assisted four learner licence applicants in getting their documents without being tested. Three of the four were foreign nationals who could not read, write, or speak English.

“The examiner was caught red handed assisting the applicants in the classroom during an exam,” said the RTMC.

“Upon further investigations and questioning, the applicants confessed to paying a fee of R3,000 each to the examiner.”

All suspects were detained at Lebowakgomo Police Station awaiting court appearances.

In the week of 9-15 September, 11 other officers were handcuffed in Polokwane, Limpopo.

Come 16 September, the RTMC announced it had arrested a whopping 14 traffic officials in one go, including officers and a driving school operator in Mpumalanga, on charges of fraud and corruption relating to the irregular issuing of driver’s licences and soliciting gratification.

The takedown operation took place in Elukwatini, Granskop, Lydenberg, Sabie, and Verena where suspects aged between 34 and 59 years were detained in a coordinated law enforcement drive.

The investigations into the network started as far back as 2021 when it was alleged that driving school owners in Sabie colluded with departmental officials in issuing learner’s and driver’s licences to applicants without following normal processes.

Meanwhile, four traffic officers in Verena were arrested for soliciting bribes from motorists who broke the rules of the road, in excessive speed and other related road traffic offences.

The next day, 17 September 2024, the RTMC disclosed that the aggregate number of arrests had risen to 39.

In addition to the 14 of the day prior, the corporation restrained a further 13 suspects in Mpumalanga in the towns of Barberton, Calcutta, Hazyview, Kabokweni, KwaNyamazane, Mbombela, Nelspruit, and White River.

“Some of the suspects have appeared in different magistrate courts and were all granted bail ranging from R2,500 to R10,000,” announced the RTMC at the time.

“They are expected to hand over their passports to the investigating officer, and not leave their hometowns without permission from the investigating officer.”

The last two weeks of October were another busy period for the authorities.

On the 21st, the RTMC successfully dismantled a syndicate involved in the production and distribution of fake licence discs and operator cards during a combined law enforcement operation in Mtubatuba,  KwaZulu-Natal.

On the 24th, it broke up another illegal operation in Bloemfontein, Free State, comprising eight licensing officials.

The latest operation, which took place between 4 and 9 November 2024, saw the RTMC apprehend 11 suspects between the ages of 27 and 57 for alleged licensing fraud in various provinces, including Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and Limpopo.

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