BELFAST – Drivers whose licenses have expired during the National Lockdown period, have been given a further 90 days in which to renew them and won’t face any prosecution.
Long queues are expected to be the order of the day from Monday June 1 when licensing departments reopen for business under Level 3 of the National Lockdown.
This was announced by the MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Gabisile Shabalala today when she inspected licensing departments at Steve Tshwete Local Municipality in Middelburg and at the Emakhazeni Local Municipality in Belfast, respectively.
Shabalala’s inspection entailed ensuring that traffic departments are complying with the Covid-19 regulations of ensuring that their premises are fumigated, sanitized and comply to the highest hygienic standards, including demarcation for social distancing during the long queues for the huge turnout that’s expected from Monday.
“I can attest to the notion that Steve Tshwete is 90 percent ready with a few anomalies. I was impressed by their walk-in sanitization which I would recommend that all public offices and buildings should install at their premises. That’s a thorough protection for people.
“At Emakhazeni, they have to speed up preparations before Monday morning, of which I advised them to do a run- through of their operational system to ensure compliance and efficiency. What’s important is to ensure the safety of both staff and the entire community at all licensing departments throughout the province,” she said.
Shabalala also picked up at both municipalities that they were still using old model machinery and recommended that they need to convert to the digital equipment after the expected huge turnout during the 90-day period from Monday.
“Digitalization of the system will produce better, efficient and quicker results and lessen the time spent by individuals at these centers. That will also ease our headaches that there won’t be any contamination of the coronavirus at all our premises. Fortunately, licensing departments, including examiner now fall directly under my department. We will fix all the underlying problems,” she stated.
On Saturday Shabalala joins the Deputy Minister of Police, Cassel Mathale during a cross border roadblock in Acornhoek and a walk about at the local mall. On Monday she will be at Volksrust Licensing Department in Pixley ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality to monitor, firsthand, how it will be handled.
