The Department of Transport R900 million mistake garners backlash

by Nomonde Simelane

Just when South Africans thought things could not possibly get any more chaotic, it has been revealed that after embarking on a trip to France, a six-person Department of Transport delegation returned with a R900m tender oversight.

It is no secret that South Africa is a nation with its fair share of issues and challenges, and among these is the unfortunate reality of having only one driver’s license card printing machine which is tasked with printing for the entire country. The lack of printing options has caused severe wear and tear, resulting in the machine’s constant breakdowns.

With approximately 600,000 South Africans currently awaiting their newly-printed driver’s licenses, securing at least one more machine was a top priority for Minister Barbara Creecy and her department.

That is when a six-person delegation was sent to France to inspect and examine a pricey smartcard-printing machine, and hopefully return with good news on securing it.

However, eyebrows quickly started to rise when the delegation not only returned without a printing machine, but also revealed that there was no machine to be inspected in France, as the Czech Republic and Greece have the only two cites where the machine can be viewed. When asked, the delegation failed to account as to why they opted to go to France instead.

To make matters worse, various publications, including News24 revealed that the department has awarded a R898m tender to a company called Idemia, however, for the wrong printing machine. This, coupled with the fact that the budget ballooned from R484 million, to the current R898 million caught Auditor General Tsakane Maluleke’s attention, who flagged this as an irregularity

The department is currently seeking to cancel the current contract with Idemia, as they cite a number of irregularities.

“I can confirm that it is indeed the department that approached the court for a declaratory order. We can not comment any further since the matter is already in court. We shall await the outcomes of court proceedings,” Transport Department spokesperson Collen Msibi told The Citizen.

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