The DA in Marble Hall welcomes arrests at the dysfunctional Driving Licence Testing Centre late last week.
Multiple suspects were reportedly arrested over an alleged cash-for-learner’s-licence scheme, with applicants allegedly charged R2000 without completing the lawful testing process. Illegal transactions involving 20–30 licences were also allegedly facilitated.
The arrests finally lays bare the longstanding systemic failures at the centre.
On 13 July 2026, municipal cashiers reportedly lost access to the payment system, leaving only one cashier operational. Residents also reported delays in the issuing of licences, which were attributed to provincial or national processing problems.
On or around 18 August 2026, the centre had reopened but was no longer accepting cash payments, restricting residents to EFT and bank card transactions.
While these developments do not, in themselves, prove a link between the system failures, the cashless policy and corruption, they raise serious questions about the circumstances surrounding these decisions, the transparency of the processes followed, and whether residents are being given adequate answers.
The DA will submit questions for written response to ascertain how long the alleged syndicate operated, how many fraudulent licences were issued, whether officials knew of suspicious activity, what caused the eNaTIS failures, who authorised the move away from cash, whether audits identified irregularities, how many officials are implicated, and which controls failed.
The ANC-run municipality wants to expand licensing services across Ephraim Mogale. Residents deserve better access, but before expanding a system plagued by serious questions, the municipality must first prove that it is clean, transparent and properly controlled.
In DA-governed municipalities, licensing services are focussed on making it easier for residents to access services while ensuring that systems are properly controlled and resistant to fraud and corruption.