Latest news with #Creecy
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Call to extend driver's license validity
South Africans have complained about the slow pace at which driver's license cards are being issued. The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) executive director advocate Stefanie Fick has written to Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy to consider extending the validity for all licence cards to 10 years and waive fines and temporary licences for those whose new licence cards are stuck in the backlog. This comes after the Department of Transport reported a backlog of 690 000 driving licence cards, arising from the breakdown earlier this year of the sole card-printing machine. Outa CEO Wayne Duvenhage said after months of delay, the department had finally filed papers in the High Court in Pretoria aimed at overturning the R898 million contracts awarded to Idemia South Africa to supply a new driving licence card machine. Duvenhage said the auditor-general took their concerns seriously: 'We commend Minister Creecy for acting on them. This is how civil society, oversight institutions and public representatives should work together to tackle maladministration.' He added: 'In early September last year, Outa exposed procurement irregularities in this contract and submitted a detailed report to Creecy, who passed it on to the auditor-general of South Africa and asked for further investigation. That request was accompanied by Outa's detailed report outlining allegations of procurement irregularities.' ALSO READ: 'Self-destructing' number plates for Gauteng? Here's what to know Duvenhage said the court papers outline multiple flaws in the contract, including a nearly R400 million cost escalation, from the original Cabinet-approved budget of R486.385 million to the signed contract of R898.597 million. Also contributing was the use of outdated pricing, omission of printing material costs, evaluation errors in scoring, machine assessments and bidder non-compliance and weak documentation. AfriForum also wanted Creecy's to issue temporary licences free of charge to motorists who renew their licences on time, amid the backlog in the issuing of driving licence cards. Spokesperson Louis Boshoff said the department had ignored workable solutions, such as extending the validity period of licence cards. – [email protected] NOW READ: RAF CEO placed on special leave with full pay, as MPs grill fund
IOL News
3 days ago
- Automotive
- IOL News
Motorists to benefit from waived fees and penalties for expired driving licences
The Transport Ministerial and Members Executive Council meeting held on June 27 resolved to waive the payment of the R72.00 for temporary driving licence card when motorists renew their driving licence cards. Image: Independent Newspapers Archives The Transport Department has responded to advocacy group pressure by waiving fees for temporary driving licence cards and suspending penalties for motorists with expired licences. This decision follows the significant backlog in licence renewals caused by a breakdown of the department's card printing machine in February, leaving many motorists in limbo. Lobby group, Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, has been arguing that fining motorists who are still waiting for their renewed card licences was unfair. Minister Barbara Crecy said the backlog stood at 635,976 as at June 23, down from 733,000 when its card production machine became operational in May. Creecy said the card production facility has, since the machine became operational, embarked on working overtime to wipe out the backlog. 'The facility, with the support of the department, is in the process of obtaining approval from the Department of Public Service and Administration for additional overtime work hours for 24 hours a day to catch up on the backlog,' she said. Creecy was responding to parliamentary questions posed by EFF MP Omphile Maotwe. She said motorists were urged to keep their old cards and apply for temporary driving licences to avoid being penalised by law enforcement officers should they be pulled over. 'Motorists can drive with an expired driving licence card for up to three months before being eligible to be fined, provided they can show proof that they applied for a new card before their current expires. "If their card had already expired when at the time of application for replacement, they must also apply for a temporary driver's licence as the time and keep proof thereof in the vehicle.' Creecy also said The Transport Ministerial and Members Executive Council meeting held on June 27 resolved to waive the payment of the R72.00 for temporary driving licence card when motorists renew their driving licence cards. 'It was further resolved to impose a moratorium not to penalise motorists who drive their vehicles with expired driving licence cards and have proof when stopped by a law enforcement officer that they have applied for or renewed their driving licence card until a replacement card is issued.' Responding to DA MP Chris Hunsinger, Creecy said her department was in the process of acquiring an interim solution with the Government Printing Works as a solution to the obsolete card production machine. She also said the permanent solution will be the procurement of a new driving licence card production machine. 'However, that process cannot be embarked upon until finalisation of the declaratory order process,' she said. 'The procurement of a new driving licence machine remains in the procurement plan of the Driving Licence Card Account. The department has approached a competent court for a declaratory order. It is only after that process has been completed that procurement of a card machine will be started,' she said in response to Freedom Front Plus MP Philip van Staden. Last September, the department announced Idemia Identity and Security - South Africa as the preferred bidder to produce new smart driving licence cards. However, the contract was put on ice when Creecy asked the Auditor-General to investigate allegations of an irregular procurement process. In papers filed in court, the department wants the court to set aside the Idemia contract, re-run the tender and allow the Department of Home Affairs to print the licence cards in the interim. Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel. Cape Argus
IOL News
3 days ago
- Automotive
- IOL News
Transport Department eliminates fees and fines for motorists with expired driving licences
The Transport Ministerial and Members Executive Council meeting held on June 27 resolved to waive the payment of the R72.00 for temporary driving licence card when motorists renew their driving licence cards. Image: Facebook The Transport Department has bowed to pressure from advocacy groups by waiving fees associated with temporary driving licence cards and halting penalties for motorists caught driving with expired licences. The decision comes as many motorists find themselves awaiting the renewal of their driving licences amidst significant backlogs in production after the department's card printing machine broke down in February. Lobby group, Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, has been arguing that fining motorists who are still waiting for their renewed card licences was unfair. Minister Barbara Crecy said the backlog stood at 635,976 as at June 23, down from 733,000 when its card production machine became operational in May. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Creecy said the card production facility has, since the machine became operational, embarked on working overtime to wipe out the backlog. 'The facility, with the support of the department, is in the process of obtaining approval from the Department of Public Service and Administration for additional overtime work hours for 24 hours a day to catch up on the backlog,' she said. Creecy was responding to parliamentary questions posed by EFF MP Omphile Maotwe. She said motorists were urged to keep their old cards and apply for temporary driving licences to avoid being penalised by law enforcement officers should they be pulled over. 'Motorists can drive with an expired driving licence card for up to three months before being eligible to be fined, provided they can show proof that they applied for a new card before their current expires. "If their card had already expired when at the time of application for replacement, they must also apply for a temporary driver's licence as the time and keep proof thereof in the vehicle.' Creecy also said The Transport Ministerial and Members Executive Council meeting held on June 27 resolved to waive the payment of the R72.00 for temporary driving licence card when motorists renew their driving licence cards. 'It was further resolved to impose a moratorium not to penalise motorists who drive their vehicles with expired driving licence cards and have proof when stopped by a law enforcement officer that they have applied for or renewed their driving licence card until a replacement card is issued.' Responding to DA MP Chris Hunsinger, Creecy said her department was in the process of acquiring an interim solution with the Government Printing Works as a solution to the obsolete card production machine. She also said the permanent solution will be the procurement of a new driving licence card production machine. 'However, that process cannot be embarked upon until finalisation of the declaratory order process,' she said. 'The procurement of a new driving licence machine remains in the procurement plan of the Driving Licence Card Account. The department has approached a competent court for a declaratory order. It is only after that process has been completed that procurement of a card machine will be started,' she said in response to Freedom Front Plus MP Philip van Staden. Last September, the department announced Idemia Identity and Security - South Africa as the preferred bidder to produce new smart driving licence cards. However, the contract was put on ice when Creecy asked the Auditor-General to investigate allegations of an irregular procurement process. In papers filed in court, the department wants the court to set aside the Idemia contract, re-run the tender and allow the Department of Home Affairs to print the licence cards in the interim.
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Outa welcomes dissolving of RAF board and cancelling of license card tender
The RAF board was suspended after many calls to fix the RAF, while it seemed that the licence card tender was awarded irregularly, Outa says. Civil action organisation Outa has welcomed more heads rolling in the Department of Transport as the RAF board is dissolved and the dodgy licence card contract heads to court as the department tries to cancel it. Outa said in a statement that it welcomes this decisive action from Minister Barbara Creecy and urges full accountability. Dissolving the Road Accident Fund (RAF) board is the latest in a string of accountability moves in the department. These steps follow the suspension of RAF CEO Collins Letsoalo in June, along with a series of high-level suspensions and interventions at other entities in the transport portfolio. 'Too much has gone unchecked for too long. Minister Creecy's decision to dissolve the RAF board sends a strong message that poor governance and executive overreach will no longer be tolerated,' Wayne Duvenage, CEO of Outa, says. ALSO READ: Creecy dissolves RAF board amid governance and operational failures Outa noted deep governance failures at RAF He points out that Creecy cited deep governance failures at the RAF, including: Wasteful litigation over accounting standards The mishandled suspension of Letsoalo A flood of default judgments increasing the RAF's liabilities Persistent divisions within the board The longstanding failure to fill critical posts, including chief claims officer and head of legal. 'In our view the board failed to challenge irregular conduct and allowed serious issues to fester, including the suspension of other senior staff without due process, which appeared aimed at silencing internal dissent.' Duvenage says Outa calls on the minister to appoint a new board with the governance depth and political will to reform the RAF, restore its mandate and investigate misconduct under the previous leadership. ALSO READ: RAF CEO placed on special leave with full pay, as MPs grill fund Outa welcomes key changes at Department of Transport He points out that this follows these other key changes in the transport sector: The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) CEO advocate Makhosini Msibi was placed on precautionary suspension by the RTMC board from 1 July. The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) group executive for enterprise, security and compliance, lieutenant general Mzwandile Petros, was also suspended. The RAF's chief investment officer, Sefotle Modiba, was suspended with Letsoalo. And now, Duvenage says, after months of delay, the Department of Transport finally filed papers in the Pretoria High Court aimed at overturning the controversial R898 million contract awarded to Idemia South Africa to supply a new driving licence card printing machine. In early September last year, Outa exposed serious procurement irregularities in this contract and submitted a detailed report to Creecy, who passed it on to the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) and asked for further investigation. ALSO READ: Why has the questionable driving licence card tender not been overturned? Outa's exposed serious procurement irregularities The AGSA's report, which forms part of the department's court papers, confirms that Creecy requested an investigation on 5 September after 'widespread public concern' over the appointment of Idemia. The request was accompanied by Outa's detailed report outlining allegations of procurement irregularities. 'The minister's communication was accompanied by a letter from Outa that contained specific allegations of an irregular procurement process were made. At the time of receiving the minister's request, auditors at the AGSA were already in the process of reviewing the specified tender as an early regularity audit process,' Duvenage says. The AGSA then expanded its investigation scope. 'The AGSA took our concerns seriously, and we commend Creecy for acting on them. This is how civil society, oversight institutions and public representatives should work together to tackle maladministration.' ALSO READ: Transparency concerns arise over new driving licence card machine tender Outa got the ball rolling to stop Idemia contract The court papers outline multiple flaws in the contract, including: A nearly R400 million cost escalation, from the original cabinet-approved budget of R486 385 million to the signed contract of R898 597 million. Use of outdated pricing. Omission of printing material costs. Evaluation errors in scoring and machine assessments. Bidder non-compliance and weak documentation. The case is brought by the Department of Transport, with the founding affidavit filed by the department's acting director-general, Mathabatha Mokonyama, against Idemia South Africa. (The director-general, advocate James Mlawu, resigned last year with effect from 28 February 2025). The department is asking the court to set aside the Idemia contract, re-run the tender and allow the Department of Home Affairs to print the licence cards in the interim. ALSO READ: DoT urged to pause driving licence card machine procurement Outa says DLCA linked capacity for such a complex render The procurement process was managed by the Driving Licence Card Account (DLCA), an entity in the Department of Transport which the department admits lacked the capacity to handle such a complex procurement. Duvenage points out that while the tender documents refer to 'Idemia Identity and Security – South Africa,' Outa noted that no such entity exists in the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) registry. The contract was ultimately signed with Idemia South Africa, a company that changed its name from Morpho Cards SA in 2021. The department included the AGSA's report, its own internal procurement assessment and an external review as supporting evidence in the case. A notice in the court file confirms that the department is opposing mediation, citing unresolved disputes with Idemia. It is not yet clear whether Idemia will oppose the legal challenge, Duvenage says.
IOL News
6 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Reactions to Minister Creecy's dissolution of the Road Accident Fund board
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has dissolved the RAF Board. Image: File Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy's decision to dissolve the board of the Road Accident Fund (RAF) has been met with varied reactions from stakeholders, including the Association for the Protection of Road Accident Victims, the Parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), and ActionSA. The RAF has faced financial and administrative instability in recent years, including the suspension of its CEO, Collins Letsoalo, due to alleged corruption and his failure to appear before Scopa. The entity, funded entirely by South African motorists through the fuel levy, has over R50 billion in annual revenue. According to Creecy, the dissolution was necessitated by persistent governance and operational challenges at the RAF, which included protracted and costly litigation pursued by the RAF on accounting standards and the inconsistent handling of the suspension of the CEO. Other reasons include the frequent incurrence of default judgments against the RAF, deep divisions within the board, and failure to fill critical executive positions like Chief Claims Officer and Head of Legal. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Deputy President of the Association for the Protection of Road Accident Victims, Ngoako Mohlaloga, said that his organisation was aligned by Creecy's decision. "We are hoping that the minister's decision will be in the best interest of the victims because ours is for the victims. We are in alignment with the minister's decision and we are hoping that her decision will fulfil its core mandate, which is to investigate administration within the RAF, which will result in compensating victims," said Mohlaloga. He stated that the board must ensure the organisation runs smoothly and that systems are in place for the RAF to function optimally. Chairperson of Scopa, Songezo Zibi, warned that the dissolved board had to be replaced with one that is capable. "The dissolution of the board came as no surprise. We've noted as a committee a number of underperformances by the board in overseeing the Road Accident Fund... It's important that whoever steps in on an interim basis is capable, experienced, and strong-willed because it doesn't help to replace one weak and problematic board with another,' Zibi said. Earlier this year, Scopa heard that the head of legal lacked a law degree, a revelation made during the board's appearance before the committee. An inquiry was launched by the oversight committee to investigate allegations of maladministration, financial impropriety, and the misuse of public funds at the embattled entity. The board's dissolution, according to Zibi, was not unexpected. "We've noted as a committee a number of underperformances by the board in overseeing the Road Accident Fund. We've highlighted the numerous vacancies in critical posts. The accumulation of default judgments that the Road Accident Fund does not defend amounts to R5 billion at the moment, at a rate of up to 100 million per week. We had said in our committee that this board is failing, so the decision is not surprising." ActionSA welcomed the decision to dissolve the RAF board, citing the entity's history of mismanagement, corruption, and state failure. "The RAF has become a cesspool of mismanagement, corruption, and a symbol of state failure." The party had formally demanded the dissolution of the board after the RAF's appearance before Scopa and findings from the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). Creecy has requested the National Treasury to appoint an interim Accounting Authority and initiated a recruitment process for a new board. Other steps include establishing an expert advisory committee to review the RAF's business processes and have requested the SIU to consider expanding the scope of their investigation into the RAF.
