Progress on the procurement of machines for 2024 South African driver’s licences has hit yet another snag. So far, the 100-day reign of Minister Barbara Creecy at the Department of Transport has played-out more like a farcical soap opera than that of a well-oiled government department. New licences linked to a digital licence card account (DLCA) were approved as long ago as 2022. And the current driver’s licences were meant to be phased out by 31 March 2024.
Latest revelations reported by Business Tech, say that three new machines to print 2024 South African driver’s licences will cost R1 billion (roughly R335 million each). This was revealed following parliamentary questions, in which Minister Creecy confirmed the current driver’s licence production system was more or less obsolete.
2024 SOUTH AFRICAN DRIVER’S LICENCES
This latest bombshell regarding 2024 South African driver’s licences follows the appointment of a preferred bidder for the printing and DLCA management tender. According to TopAuto, quoting the Automobile Association (AA), the announcement made on 1 September 2024 that French company Idemia won the tender raised plenty eyebrows.
The firm is considered a leader in biometrics and smart technology, and has associations with governments all around the globe. Following years of delays, this announcement on 2024 South African driver’s licences seemed like welcome progress. However, The South African reported just last month that Idemia had lost a lucrative tender with Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) over BEE non-compliance.
URGENT CALL FOR SUSPENSION
However, following these procurement revelations, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) immediately urged Minister Creecy to suspend the process. The Citizen subsequently reported that Minister Creecy had instructed the Auditor-General (AG) to expedite and widen its audit scope. It’s since emerged that serious irregularities may have transpired leading up to the firm’s appointment to manage 2024 South African driver’s licences.
Specifically, questions abound over: Supply-chain management and whether adequate measures to protect the safety of personal data will be followed. Likewise, OUTA wants to know if Idemia’s bid was the most affordable option. Nevertheless, OUTA CEO Wayne Duvenage did welcome Creecy’s urgency in taking fast action to rectify the matter. Furthermore, he says there is sufficient evidence to suspend the contract pending an investigation into tender manipulation and rigging. OUTA has since said it would hold off on applying for a High Court interdict until a thorough investigation was conducted.
THREE DECADES OLD
South Africa has been on the hunt for new driving licence printing machines for nearly three decades. The current card machine does not support smart biometric technology and reportedly takes an average of 14 working days to complete each licence. The department says it has effectively been held hostage by the 26-year-old machine that frequently breaks down.
Moreover, a backlog of driver’s licence renewal applications peaked at 1.3 million in 2022/2023. It was revealed in parliament that R21 million has been spent maintaining the ageing equipment over the years. However, this is a mere snip compared to the contentious R1-billion price tag for three new machines.
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