Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes OUTA’s call for the suspension of fines against motorists who were unable to renew their licences due to government failure. But instead of merely treating the symptoms, government must address the root cause of the crisis.
South Africa’s sole driving licence card printing machine, which broke down on 5 February 2025, has only now resumed operations — more than four months later. This failure left the country without the capacity to print cards and has contributed to a staggering backlog of over 747 000 unissued driving licence cards. The Department of Transport has confirmed that the machine is back online and that efforts are underway to clear the backlog.
But this temporary fix will not solve the systemic problems at the heart of this crisis.
The collapse of the system stems from the Department’s failure to replace the 26-year-old printer — a failure caused by a bungled tender process that ballooned from R486 million to R898 million and is now tied up in litigation, paralysing reform.
The DA believes accountability and reform — not blanket amnesty — are the real solutions.
We demand that the Minister of Transport take the following urgent steps:
- Table the full Auditor-General’s report on the failed tender in Parliament.
- Haul the Driving Licence Card Account (DLCA) and Department officials before the Portfolio Committee to account.
- Deliver a recovery plan with clear timelines to operationalise a second printer and permanently cut the backlog.
Most importantly, the DA renews its call for the decentralisation of driving licence card production to provinces. Breaking the national bottleneck is the only way to build a more resilient, accessible and responsive system.
South Africans should not be punished for government’s administrative collapse. They deserve a system that works.
Regards
Dr Chris Hunsinger MP
DA Spokesperson on Transport