NOMAFRENCH MBOMBO: Centralised driving licence machine leaves motorists in limbo

More than 106,000 motorists in the Western Cape were left in administrative limbo in April. Despite following all necessary regulations to obtain their driver’s licences, they had yet to receive their licence cards. This was due to SA’s only driving licence card printing machine breaking down for the umpteenth time, in effect holding these motorists to ransom by not delivering already paid-for licences, and forcing them to pay for temporary licences. 

The machine has since been repaired, and the national department of transport has made commendable progress in reducing the backlog, from more than 106,000 cards to 45,100 for motorists in the Western Cape. I commend the hard work of officials operating under immense pressure, with unreliable equipment. 

However, the root of the problem persists: the entire country still relies on a single printing machine. This is a recipe for disaster, as proven by the repeated breakdowns of the machine over the past three years. 

To provide immediate relief the Western Cape department of mobility tabled a proposal at the special interprovincial policies and procedures meeting in March. It recommended a simple, practical adjustment: extend the validity of temporary driving licences from six to 12 months during periods of national service disruption. 

Motorists must now reapply, pay again, and make the effort to again visit traffic departments when their temporary licences expire, costing them time and money. Extending the validity period would ease pressure on licensing centres, provide legal protection for motorists and buy time while longer-term solutions are implemented. 

This proposal is practical, cost-neutral and administratively straightforward, yet it was rejected by the national transport department. 

The auditor-general declared the original procurement process for a new licence printing machine irregular, and transport minister Barbara Creecy filed a high court application seeking a declaratory order on the tender process.

In response the DA has called for full transparency: the report on these irregularities must be made public, along with the department’s complete plan to correct them. South Africans deserve accountability and competent service delivery. 

There is a fine line between legal prudence and bureaucratic stalling and South Africans, already burdened with expired temporary drivers licences, fines, lost work opportunities and insurance challenges, know the difference. 

As the legal battle unfolds citizens remain in limbo. Delays in issuing licences are not a minor inconvenience; they affect the day-to-day lives of residents. For many, a driver’s licence is more than an identity document — it is a gateway to employment, healthcare, education, mobility and financial inclusion.

We cannot allow urgent service delivery to become tied up in endless legal knots. While Creecy’s legal action may continue, it must not obstruct immediate administrative measures such as extending the validity of temporary licences during national service disruptions or devolving licensing powers to capable provinces. 

This crisis exposes a deeper structural failure: SA’s governance systems are too centralised. It defies logic that a nation of more than 60-million people relies on one machine to print all driving licence cards. 

The DA has long championed the devolution of licensing functions to capable provinces. A decentralised system would reduce risk, enhance efficiency and allow provinces to respond directly and accountably to residents’ needs. 

Yet the national government insists on retaining full control, even when that control results in repeated failure. This is not just inefficient; it is negligent. When provinces such as the Western Cape step forward with solutions those proposals should be welcomed, not dismissed. 

Ultimately, motorists should not have to suffer because of the national transport department’s inaction. Extending temporary licences while the only licence card machine is out of service is a simple, immediate step that would protect livelihoods. 

The department of transport must also procure additional, more modern and reliable printing machines to avoid future breakdowns that bring the entire system to a halt. 

It is time for the department to listen, act and decentralise, because every day wasted is another day someone’s life is put on hold due to a failure of their government. 

• Prof Mbombo is DA Western Cape spokesperson on mobility.