Sebokeng's R78m driving licence testing centre in ruins despite R9.4m spent on securing it

The Star

07-05-2025

Masabata Mkwananzi | Published 16 minutes ago
R9.4 million blown on security — yet the Sebokeng Driving Licence Testing Centre ( DLTC) is a wreck. The vandalised, abandoned site has become a symbol of wasteful spending and failed oversight.
This information was revealed by Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Jacob Mamabolo, who confirmed that a total of R9,420,295.68 has been spent on securing the Sebokeng DLTC since 1 June 2019, in response to questions tabled by the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).
From 2019 to 2025, over R9.4 million was spent on security for the site, with annual amounts of R966,000 in 2019/2020
R1,102,290 2020/2021
R1,088,858.16 2021/2022
R2,053,800 2022/2023
R2,063,400 2023/2024
R2,145,947.52 2024/2025
Despite this hefty expenditure, the facility remains in a state of ruin, vandalised and non-operational.
During a visit to the site, The Star encountered security personnel who were unwilling to speak in detail. Still, it came to our attention that they were operating on a shift basis to safeguard the premises.
'We can't say much, but yes, we take turns — there's a day shift and a night shift to ensure the place is secure,' one guard briefly stated.
The building stands as a stark symbol of neglect — its walls are defaced, the ceiling is crumbling, and doors hang broken from their hinges. Discarded construction equipment litters the site, now overtaken by waist-high, overgrown grass that adds to the sense of abandonment.
The Star has since obtained legislative correspondence revealing ongoing communication between the Democratic Alliance and both the Department of Infrastructure Development and COGTA concerning the condition and future of the testing station.
The document reveals that five security companies were contracted to guard the construction site. However, the DA has raised concerns about the legitimacy of some of these companies in actually providing security services, specifically mentioning Action Sound Trading and Projects, Maile Consulting, and Matetsa Construction. The five contracted companies are Maraba Security Services, Action Sound Trading and Projects, Maile Consulting, Matetsa Construction, and Red Hawks Army Protection Projects.
Kingsol Chabalala, the DA's constituency head for Emfuleni North, criticised the situation, calling it a travesty. 'It is unacceptable that this project, which has already cost taxpayers over R78 million, has been abandoned and left to deteriorate, while residents are forced to commute or walk long distances to access DLTC services,' he stated.
He added that it is equally absurd that millions of rands are being wasted on security companies that fail to deliver the promised services. He also stated that he would be requesting a clear timeline for the project's completion.
'The Sebokeng DLTC is another example of the Department of Infrastructure Development's (DID) failure to complete projects on time and within budget.
'The DA will write to MEC Mamabolo to provide timelines to ensure this project is completed within the stipulated additional budget,' he added
Theo Nkonki, spokesperson for Gauteng MEC for Infrastructure Development and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo, said that Sebokeng DLTC had already been vandalised before the deployment of security personnel.
'Furthermore, there was no formal handover of the site to the security team by either the Project Manager or the contractor. As a result, the site was found to be unsecured and unattended.'
When asked how the Department justifies the R9.4 million spent on security despite the facility's deteriorating condition, Nkonki said:
'Security Management deploys personnel upon request from departments such as Property Management, the Health Branch, Education, and the STARS Branch. The appointed security service providers are paid in accordance with PSIRA rates. The DLTC has been under the protection of various security companies from 2019 to date, as detailed in the table below.'
Despite the vandalised state of the site, Nkonki maintained that Security Management has not recorded any security breaches since the facility's inception.
As the chaos at the Sebokeng DLTC unfolded, the Gauteng Department of Transport distanced itself from the project, referring inquiries to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), which confirmed it had no involvement.
The Sebokeng DLTC, meant to open in 2021, now stands as a monument to government failure, with construction dating back to 2015 and nearly R80 million spent on a facility left to rot.
The Star
[email protected]