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Pretoria News reports that Mpumalanga driving school owners have openly demonstrated against “greedy” traffic officials, who had planned to increase bribery fees from R1,700 to R2,000 per student in need of a driving licence.
The protest at the Mbombela Local Municipality offices on Friday saw the school owners preventing workers from entering the premises. Community members were shocked that the protest was not against the bribes traffic officers demanded to produce favourable results for driving school students, but against the increment of the bribery fees. Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC, Vusi Shongwe, expressed concern and said: “We have noted recent allegations by some driving school owners. We strongly condemn corruption in the licensing environment. We encourage communities, including driving school owners to report malfeasance.” In the past two months, eight Mbombela traffic officials were arrested and charged with fraud, corruption and money laundering relating to R60 million. They are all out on R15,000 bail . One driving school owner in Mkhuhlu shared details of the corruption at testing stations and indicated: “Our clients are desperate for driving licences. Most want a licence as part of a condition to finding employment, so officials take advantage of that.” Asked why driving schools did not provide clients with sufficient lessons to ensure they passed the exam without paying a bribe, he said it was impossible. “There’ll always be a slight mistake, so you have to bribe them if you want your client to pass,” he lamented.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Pretoria News
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