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Jan 24, 2024

Legal action over South Africa's broken driving licence machine

AfriForum will be in the high court in two months to demand, among other

AfriForum will be in the high court in two months to demand, among other things, a declaratory order stating that the five-year validity period for driving licences is unconstitutional and that all fines issued for expired licences are unconstitutional.

The civil rights organisation sent a letter to minister of transport Sindisiwe Chikunga on Monday demanding clarity from her department regarding the broken licence card printing machine.

On 3 May, it was reported that South Africa's only licence printing machine had broken down again – less than a year since this happened the last time. A spokesman for the department of transport said then that the machine would begin printed driving licence cards again within two to three weeks. However, more than a month later, the department has not issued any updates on the status of the printing machine.

AfriForum has requested that minister Chikunga confirm whether the licence printing machine has been fixed, or whether it is still not functional, and to provide AfriForum with a timeframe for its return to service. It said its members, as well as the public at large, deserve clarity when it comes to this critical service the government is supposed to provide without complications or serious delays.

‘For practical reasons, the department of transport's well-known failures make it impossible and irrational to require motorists to renew their driver's licence cards every five years," an AfriForum spokesman said.

"Not only is the South African government unable to provide the basic service of licence renewal, it also appears not to have the ability or desire to keep the public informed on the status of the problem they caused.

"That is exactly why AfriForum exists – to take the side of the public when the government does not. Make your voice heard with us at www.nodriversexpiry.co.za," said Ernst van Zyl, campaign officer for strategy at AfriForum. – © 2023 NewsCentral Media