Utter chaos for South African motorists

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has formally written to transport minister Barbara Creecy to demand answers for various issues causing headaches for South African motorists.

These include the department’s failure to extend the country’s driving licence validity period, ongoing licence card printing machine breakdowns, and the irregular Idemia tender.

Citing unconfirmed reports, Outa said the printing machine has been out of operation since January 2025, resulting in major delays in issuing new and renewed driving licences.

A MyBroadband reader recently informed us they applied to renew their licence at a Western Cape Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC).

They were told that that centre, in particular, hadn’t issued any driving licence cards that had been applied for in 2025.

Minister Creecy raised concerns over the machine’s status in early March 2025, when she acknowledged that a significant production backlog was forcing DLTCs to issue temporary licences.

“It’s common knowledge that the existing machine is very old. We are trying to enhance maintenance efforts so that it can resume printing, but I have also requested the acting director general to look at interim solutions,” she added.

Creecy’s choice of words — “so that it can resume printing” — suggest that the machine was once again out of commission, however the minister’s spokesperson has not confirmed whether that was Creecy’s intended meaning.

Outa is demanding answers about why the machine isn’t operational, considering it has received extensive maintenance.

“Motorists are once again being subjected to delays and inconvenience due to the ongoing failures of this outdated system,” said Outa CEO Wayne Duvenage.

“The Department must explain why the machine is not operational, despite previous repairs and maintenance contracts.”

The civil action organisation believes the Department of Transport can no longer avoid the issue of extending the validity period for South African driver’s licences.

It has long advocated for an extension from five to 10 years to reduce administrative burdens, mitigate backlogs, and reduce costs for motorists and government.

It also notes that an extension to 10 years was gazetted in 2013 before being mysteriously withdrawn.

“Research we undertook in 2022 shows that many countries have already extended the validity period of their driver’s licence cards to 10 years or more without compromising road safety,” said Duvenage.

After meeting with former transport minister Fikile Mbalula, the minister later committed to an eight-year validity period. However, no further progress was made on the plan.

“We believe the Department of Transport cannot continue to avoid this issue,” added Duvenage.

Concerns over Idemia tender

The Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) recently revealed various irregularities and departure from tender procedures following its investigation into the awarding of a contract for new driving licence printing machines to Idemia.

This prompted Creecy to approach the courts for a way forward, whether that be cancelling the contract or forging ahead with it. She later received a legal opinion advising her to proceed with the contract.

“Outa has also raised concerns over a recent legal opinion advising minister Creecy to proceed with the driving licence card printing contract with Idemia,” said Outa.

“The AGSA report clearly stated that the winning bid was non-compliant with supply chain management prescripts, the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), Treasury Regulations and Driving Licence Card Account (DLCA) policies, amongst others.”

Duvenage said proceeding with the tender despite the AGSA’s finding would be a severe governance failure.

“If Idemia challenges the cancellation in court, Outa and possibly other tendering companies will not hesitate to oppose them,” he added.

The civil action organisation demands transparency and action from the Department of Transport and Minister Creecy. It is calling on them to provide clear feedback on the above issues.

“We believe these matters can no longer be ignored. The public deserves transparency on the government’s plans to modernise the licensing system and address the backlog,” said Duvenage.

“Minister Creecy must provide an official response and commit to long-term solutions.”