MEDIA STATEMENT

TOUGH LAWS FOR LICENCE FRAUDSTERS

Sweeping amendments to the Road Traffic Act are currently being considered that will prevent a person who fraudulent obtains his or her driving or learner's licence from re-applying for such licence for a certain period of time.

In addition to the usual criminal sanctions related to bribery and corruption, a person who cheats during any examination will also be prohibited from applying for a licence or permit for a specific period from the date of the offence. The person who cheated also forfeits any payments made and any licence or permit issued or authorised will be cancelled.

Further, applicants for a driving licence will have to apply in person to make an appointment for an examination and will no longer be able to use agents, representatives or instructors. Also, applicants for licences, permits or examinations will in future be constrained by the domicile rule and will have to apply in the area where they commonly reside. This will negate the practice of "touting" for appointments at various testing centres which leads to fraudulent activities.

Head of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport, Dr Kwazi Mbanjwa said that these tough new measures were extremely necessary in the light of the several cases of fraud and corruption that were being unveiled in the past months by the KZN Transport Department in conjunction with the SAPS.

Mahendra Ramsunder (32) and Venokanthan Perumal Govender (22), employees from the Isipingo Roadworthiness Test Station near Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, will appear in the Durban Magistrates Court this coming Wednesday (26/02/2003) to be sentenced after being found guilty of 676 counts of Fraud. The offences took place between 1996 and 1997 where certificates of roadworthiness were issued  without the said vehicles undergoing the necessary roadworthy tests. In many instances, the vehicles were not even present at the Test Centre when the roadworthiness certificates were issued.

On 21/01/2003, a former employee at the Goble Road (Windsor Park) Licensing Bureau confessed to receiving money in return for assisting applicants for learners licence tests to cheat in their exams. Noreen Desire DeGee (40), of Rosehill, pleaded guilty to 15 counts of  fraud in that she gave those sitting for the exam question books with the answers or filled them in for them herself. According to the charge sheet, she had acted in cahoots with driving school owners and instructors who charged between R250 and R450 for this. She will be sentenced on March 19 2003 and another eight people from driving schools will stand trial in May 2003 on similar charges.

During December last year officials from the Transport Department swooped on the premises of GAP Testing Station in Umbilo, Durban and issued a notice to the owner to discontinue business including an order to attach all goods.

On 16 July 2002, one hundred and seventy four driving licences issued by the Ixopo Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands were cancelled by the KZN Department of Transport after it was found that these licences were fraudulently issued.

This week journalists brought to our attention evidence of corrupt activities taking place at the Rossburgh Test Station in Durban. Based on this information, action has already been taken against two officials and other officials will be redeployed and continuously monitored.

"People who issue fraudulent learner's and driving licences and roadworthy certificates should be sent to jai. We urge members of the public who are aware of such activities to please come forward with this information," Mbanjwa said.

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