The DA’s constituency head for Merafong, Ms Ina Cilliers, says residents of Fochville had complained that the Merafong City Local Municipality’s licensing centre in Fochville had suddenly closed. This meant that the residents who wanted to renew their vehicle licence discs had to drive to Carletonville and spend hours in long queues. “This week, I conducted oversight visits at both centres and started asking questions. Initial findings indicate that the Fochville centre is closed for a forensic investigation into massive charges of fraud and corruption. The allegations involve municipal officials, local driving schools and the Fochville SAPS in an unprecedented criminal syndicate. It is alleged that over 1,000 false identities have been created, licence discs and registration documents are being cloned and falsified and the eNatis system has been infiltrated to alter records,” said Cilliers. According to her, “well-placed anonymous sources” have confirmed that the SAPS National Intervention Unit is investigating charges of racketeering.

Three Merafong officials from the Fochville centre have been suspended and charged so far. “Even more worrying is that it appears that the Merafong Council and the portfolio committee for community safety are unaware of this cesspit and have received no reports in this regard. “Residents are expected to keep to their legal responsibilities at great personal cost, while the council is not even bothered to explain. It is unclear how many residents out there have fraudulent drivers’ licences and registration papers,” Cilliers complains. She says she will table written questions in the legislature to both provincial departments of roads and transport and community safety to substantiate and verify the information received so far. “Specifically, Merafong residents need to know what recourse is available to them and when they can once again expect the services they are paying for,” she added. When the Herald took Cilliers’s allegations to the municipality on Tuesday, a spokesperson confirmed that a big investigation was indeed being conducted into activities at the facility.

The newspaper also asked when the office would reopen. “The department of transport is currently busy with a forensic investigation into possible fraudulent motor vehicle registration transact- ions at the Fochville licensing office. Due to this investigation, motor vehicle licensing and registration transactions at the Fochville licensing office are temporarily unavailable. “These transactions may be done at the Carletonville licensing office or post office. “Drivers licensing transactions are available at the Fochville office through the online booking system as per the Gauteng Provincial direct-ions,” a municipal spokesperson answered. The municipality did not deny any of Cilliers’s allegations.