MEDIA STATEMENT

MEC CELE CONDEMNS THE ILLEGAL ISSUING OF FRAUDULENT DRIVERS LICENCES

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Mr. Bheki Cele condems the illegal issuing of fraudulent learners and drivers licences. This follows an arrest of two departmental clerks who were allegedly implicated in the scam of issuing illegal licences. The two suspects were arrested yesterday at the Empangeni Road Traffic Inspectorate Offices. "My department will arrest everyone who is linked to the scam and those who will be found guilty will face the full might of the law. Our Zero Tolerance to 100% Compliance applies in all sectors of transport, we will have no mercy to crime-related issues," Cele said.

Members of the Traffic and Transport Inspection Unit arrested the suspects and later obtained search warrants to further their investigation. Upon their search in one of the suspect's homes they found the following:

• 186 Applications for Drivers Licences;
• 2 Drivers Licences;
• 162 Learners Licences;
• 4 Temporary Drivers Licences;
• 36 Professional Public Driving Permits;
• 13 Identity Documents.

Cele said "We urge everyone who is possession of an illegal learners or drivers licence to surrender it to the police so as to make their life easier because we will hunt them down and arrest them."

The department will not grant amnesty to culprits who are involved in the scam. "There will be an administrative mark to all fraudulent learners and drivers licences that will disadvantage all the culprits, particularly when the licence is due for its renewal," said Cele.

Department of Transport CEO Dr. Kwazi Mbanjwa said, "The Department will launch the Anti Crime and Corruption campaign during the first week of October this year. The campaign will target all problem areas where crime is rife and ensure that we dig down to the last detail and arrest all culprits."

Further investigation is still underway and all the suspects are expected to appear in court on Monday.

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