Taxi task team uncovers fraud

2009-07-10 20:09

Pretoria - A North West taxi task team has uncovered corruption related to the issuing of fraudulent licences, public safety MEC Howard Yawa said on Friday.

"The operation's cracked a syndicate responsible for the manufacturing of illegal drivers' licences, marriage certificates, birth certificates, car registration certificates and any other official document which required payment," he said during his budget vote speech in Mmabatho.

Twelve suspects had been arrested for possessing machines to manufacture the illegal documents.

Yawa said the syndicate, which included government officials, was also found to be in possession of official government department stamps.
The task team - a joint team of the police and traffic officers under the command of Captain Pule Mampuru - was established to deal with taxi-related conflict in the province.

"We will also extend the lifespan of the Mampuru task team operations dealing with illegal taxi operators to other areas which continue to give us problems and possible taxi violence."

He said Mampuru's team had impounded 600 taxis operating illegally.

Yawa said any public servant associated with corruption compromised the national effort to win the war against corruption and crime in general.

"There’ll be no hole big enough for corrupt public servants to hide. We are going to uproot them from all of our institutions lock, stock and barrel."

- SAPA