The Mogale City Licensing Department in Delporton was once again forced to close its doors on Tuesday, March 1. Protests by the National Driving School Association of South Africa (NDSASA) members continued and the situation escalated after their demands went unmet after Friday, February 25’s protest.

Also read: Mogale City Licensing Department

On Tuesday morning, visitors to the licensing centre again were met with a closed gate with a notice that said, “Due to the driving school protest action, this office will be closed until further notice. Management apologises for any inconvenience caused.”

The department later issued a press release through the Mogale City Local Municipality’s communications department which explained that, “Ongoing protests by the NDSASA demanding the suspension of the NaTIS online booking system for Gauteng users have led to service interruptions at licensing centres across Gauteng, including the Mogale City Licensing Centre.

Following harsh demonstrations outside our centre since earlier today, management has made the decision to suspend all its services temporarily to guarantee the safety of employees and members of the public who wish to visit the centre. This after numerous reports of assault, threats and intimidation of staff and members of the public.

“Those with appointments to renew their driving licences have 14 days within which they can be assisted, while those who were supposed to do learner’s and driving licence practical tests will have those tests deferred. New dates and times for those tests will be determined and all applicants will be contacted directly.

“Management will continue to monitor the situation and re-open when it is safe for employees and members of the public. We also encourage centre users to monitor our website for updates.”