In a bid to root out corruption, the City of Johannesburg’s vehicle licensing departments are experiencing staff shortages.
MMC for Public Safety, Michael Sun, appealed to residents who plan on renewing their vehicle licenses to be patient as many of the licensing department centres across the City are now understaffed. This after about 70 officials were suspended, with more arrests made.
“Services are likely to be affected at all of the licensing [departments] and some testing stations in Johannesburg including Midrand, Randburg, Marlboro, Roodepoort, Langlaagte and Martindale. However, temporary staff will be used to fill vacancies quickly where it is possible. We request the residents to be patient whilst we are working towards a corruption-free city,” he told IOL.
Efforts by the Hawks, the City’s Anti-Corruption Unit and Mayor Herman Mashaba to end corruption at licensing departments have revealed that about R15 million has been lost and 1 000 fraudulent transactions have taken place since January 2008. Mashaba said on 10 January that 106 officials would be arrested and suspended with immediate effect, ‘pending swift disciplinary processes by the City’.
At the Randburg Licensing Department, 37 transactions have amounted to a loss of more than R380 000 since 2008. The Roodepoort department lost R1.3 million through 84 transactions. And 202 transactions at the Sandton department resulted in a loss of R3.8 million.
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