Applicants Accuse Sandton Licensing Department Officials of Corruption

Authorities at the Sandton licensing and testing department in Johannesburg are accused of corruption.

(The Post News)- Authorities at the Sandton licensing and testing department in Johannesburg are accused of corruption. Applicants for new driver’s licenses and renewals claim they were asked to pay R200 bribes after being falsely told they failed eye tests.

One applicant, Lerato (not her real name), said ten people failed the eye test and were taken to a reception area where they were asked for bribes.

When Lerato questioned why everyone in front of her failed, the officer couldn’t explain. Lerato also failed her test and was directed to pay R200 at reception to change her result.

“After talking to others, I found out they all paid the bribe,” Lerato said.

Lerato then went to the officer again and asked for another test, stressing that she had her eyes examined a month earlier for professional reasons and had a letter from an optometrist confirming that there were no problems with her eyesight.

Lerato stated that when she went out to her car to get her medical results, she was approached by another officer in the JMPD [Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department] uniform.

The officer offered to speed up whatever process she was struggling with for a fee.

After several interactions with police officers, she received her eye certificate without having her medicals checked or paying the R200 bribe.

City of Johannesburg licensing director Gershin Chetty said that regarding Lerato’s allegations, he has spoken with the head of Sandton, and this matter was not brought to his attention.

“As the department of licensing, we welcome any whistleblowing of alleged corruption that occurred and urge the complainant and witness to come forward to help with the allegations for the necessary and immediate intervention and action,’’ said Chetty.

In January, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks), in collaboration with the Road Traffic Management Corporation’s (RTMC) National Traffic Anti-Corruption Unit, arrested 11 licensing officials on charges of fraud and corruption.

The officials were arrested in Ladybrand in the Free State, Elkwatini in Mpumalanga, and Rayton in Gauteng for unlawful issuing of driving licenses and examination certificates.

The RTMC’s spokesperson, Simon Zwane, said the arrests followed three years of investigation that identified examiners who fraudulently issued driver’s licenses and roadworthy certificates at various testing stations. Multiple officers have been arrested for corruption, Chetty said.

“I can confirm only for the licensing section that there are some cases concerning alleged corruption, and these cases are under probe at the JMPD internal affairs. As a department, we are awaiting the results of these disciplinary cases,” he said.

At the Sandton licensing department, another applicant, Thabani Lushaba, said he had spent R1,500 for his learner driver’s license.

“The corruption here implicates driving schools. My driving instructor told me that for a guaranteed pass, I have to pay R1,500. When I got to the testing class, we were told to answer anyhow and not press ‘end test’ so they could fix our answers for us,” Lushaba said.

According to the Gauteng Tourism Authority website, getting a learner’s license is far less than the amount that Lushaba was made to pay. The booking fee for a test is R108, and the issue fee is R65 if the test is passed.

Chetty stated that driving schools are independent institutions and are not the responsibility of the licensing authority, and he urged the public to expose the driving schools involved in corruption.