Tell us about fake licences - officials

2011-10-18 22:35

Johannesburg - Gauteng officials have urged people to come forward with information about the sale of fake or fraudulently obtained learner's and driver's licences.

"Come out and tell us where the problems are," said transport department spokesperson Octavia Mamabolo.

Thapelo Moiloa, spokesperson for the department of community safety said: "We appeal to people to come forward. Give us the specific details, so we can work on these people as a matter of urgency."

Moiloa said despite monitoring efforts and crackdowns, the sale of fake licences and fraudulently obtained licences, and fake roadworthy clearances continued unabated.

"Those cars and those people will be using our roads. If they are not trained properly they are going to cause havoc on our roads," he said.

"If their vehicles are not roadworthy they will be responsible for carnage on our roads."

The Star reported that fake learner's and driver's licences were being sold for between R800 and R4 500 at four of the five City of Johannesburg testing centres.

They were primarily organised by car guards and instructors from "fly-by-night" driving schools, who worked with centre examiners, the newspaper reported.

Mamabolo said on Tuesday that the problem of fraudulent licences was "rampant".

Compounding the situation was the fact that some of the government's officials were complicit in arranging the licences.

"We need to really apply some unconventional methods," she said.

This might involve installing closed circuit television and investigating and vetting the examiners.

At worst, they might have to close some testing stations.

"People are consistently finding new ways of beating the system," she said.

"It is really a problem for the department. I'm not going to shy away from that."

Moiloa encouraged people who had bought a licence to contact the department anonymously.

"Give us the name of the testing station and the official involved and we will deal harshly with them."

The DA laid the blame on the testing centres' inability to cope with the numbers of people who wanted licences.

Moiloa invited people to send information to him on [e-mail], 011-689-3826 or 084-805-2247.

- SAPA