Are you still waiting for your driver’s licence? Well, according to Minister Fikile Mbalula, the printing machine is in Germany for repairs.

On Tuesday, 11 January, Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, announced that the driver’s licence print machine is currently in Germany for repairs. 

“The license machine is in Germany, it has broken,” Mbalula said.

Minister Mbalula also mentioned that he will announce measures for temporary licences. 

Mbalula also announced on Tuesday that taxi operators can now app

WHY ONLY ONE MACHINE?

Automotive Association of South Africa (AA) spokesperson Layton Beard told Newzroom Afrika that the reason that South Africa only has one driver’s license printer is most likely to limit corruption.

The single machine means that fraudulent licenses are less likely to make their way into the public through the Department of Transport and Driver’s License Testing Stations (DLTC).

“I think you don’t want to have a situation where the printing of licence cards is farmed out to the DLTCs. You may find yourself in a worse position in terms of illegal driving licence cards that are in circulation,” said Beard.

The current backlog is believed to be over 383 000 driver’s licenses after the machine broke down in November. All the more reason, said Beard, for the country to have at least one backup machine.

The repair was expected to be completed at the end of December 2021 but Mbalula said the machine should be back in the country by March.

NEW LICENSES AND MACHINES?

According to Moneyweb, Mbalula said the driver’s license printing machine is so old that no other country in the world is still using it.

He said the government is considering producing new license cards with a new machine that is “on par with the developed world.”

“We should have long changed this but nonetheless we are changing it in the sixth administration,” said the Minister of Transport.