The Hawks have arrested 10 Limpopo testing station officials for allegedly selling drivers’ licences.<\/p>\n
The officials are expected to appear in the Malamulele and Mutale magistrates’ courts on Friday (6 December).<\/p>\n
“The Hawks’ serious corruption investigation team, in collaboration with Road Traffic Management Corporation centre, embarked on a project-driven investigation aimed at addressing allegations of corrupt activities at the testing stations in the province,” Hawks spokesperson Captain Matimba Maluleke said<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n “The Hawks’ investigation revealed that the driving licences were sold at a minimum of R8,600 per applicant.”<\/p>\n Recurring problem<\/strong><\/p>\n The arrests are the latest in a long line of busts which show that fraud is rampant in the country’s vehicle licensing system.<\/p>\n Some of the most notable recent cases include:<\/p>\n A 2017 investigation <\/strong><\/a>by Corruption Watch researchers\u00a0found that corrupt practices were rife at centres which handle applications for learner\u2019s and driver\u2019s licences.<\/p>\n \u201cOur analysis indicated that corrupt practices are acceptable even if deterrent measures such as cameras are implemented,\u201d Corruption Watch said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is often the officials who solicit bribes from prospective drivers, at times accomplished with the assistance of driving instructors.\u201d<\/p>\n The organisation said young people, because of their social circumstances, often have no choice but to resort to being corrupt.<\/p>\n MyBroadband has previously reported<\/a> <\/strong>that testing officers and the owners of driving schools have solicited bribes for as little as R2,500 from people wanting to get a driver\u2019s license.<\/p>\n\n
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