Denied in Gauteng, accepted in Limpopo 30 minutes later – How roadworthy testing in South Africa really goes

An investigative report by the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has uncovered what it describes as “systemic fraud” in vehicle testing stations (VTSs) in South Africa.

The investigation allegedly revealed several instances where vehicles failed roadworthy inspections in Gauteng, only to be issued with a certificate by registered testing stations in Limpopo or North West provinces, sometimes in as little as 30 minutes.

In several cases, Outa suspects that the vehicles in question were never physically inspected.

“From what we uncovered, it is clear that these vehicles never left Gauteng for a physical inspection in another province, but that roadworthy certificates were nevertheless issued,” said Rudie Heyneke, Senior Project Manager at Outa.

“This is fraud.”

Deep-rooted corruption

Apart from the testing discrepancies, Outa found a number of alarming issues in the country’s vehicle licensing sector.

For one, VTSs across multiple provinces issue roadworthy certificates without mandatory inspections, possibly in exchange for bribes, said Heyneke.

Furthermore, a network of VTS owners, including public officials, has been identified as part of this scheme, while other stations are linked to owners of vehicle fleets.

“Outa is concerned that the owners of transport companies responsible for the transportation of passengers could possibly ‘inspect’ their own vehicles and issue roadworthy certificates when the vehicles are not roadworthy,” said Heyneke.

“According to law, buses must be inspected every six months. Testing a fleet of buses twice a year can become costly. But, by ‘testing’ the vehicles and issuing your own roadworthy certificates, you save your transport company a significant amount of money annually.”

Systemic corruption in the VTS sector carries significant weight as unroadworthy vehicles have been linked to many fatal accidents in the country, and the lack of proper roadworthy testing contributes to the ongoing road safety crisis.

Outa’s insights are published just weeks after the release of the December 2024 Road Safety Report, which noted that 16,527 vehicles were found to be unroadworthy and were issued traffic fines during the festive season, as well as having their motor vehicle licence discs removed where impoundment facilities were not available.

Meanwhile, 8,917 motor vehicles were impounded in areas where facilities were available.

“South Africa’s road safety crisis has reached alarming levels, with fatal crashes costing the country an estimated R186.5 billion annually,” said Heyneke.

“Unroadworthy vehicles are a significant contributor to this deadly trend.”

Outa has shared its findings with Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy, as well as the South African Police Service and the National Traffic Anti-Corruption Unit, for further investigation and criminal prosecution of all involved.

“Our investigation exposes a deep-rooted issue that endangers the safety of all South African road users,” said Heyneke.

“Immediate action is required, and we urge government and law enforcement agencies to take swift and decisive action to ensure the integrity of the roadworthiness testing system.”

Outa additionally called on the authorities to make it compulsory for annual or bi-annual testing of vehicles used for transporting passengers, like taxis and buses, to be done in the province where they are registered.