Gates to the licensing centres across the West Rand remained closed over the past two weeks due to prolonged protest action by the National Driving School Association of South Africa (NDSASA) against the Road Traffic Management Corporation and Department of Transport regarding recent changes to the NaTIS licence booking system.

The first protest action across Gauteng was on February 25 and saw various driving schools block the entrances to licensing centres. The protests already started affecting the Mogale Licensing Department in Delporton, Krugersdorp the previous day as some driving school members prevented the public from entering its premises.

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Due to security concerns, the centre opted to close its doors to the public.

The Mogale City Local Municipality (MCLM), however, announced on Monday, March 14 that the centre had been reopened, noting in a statement that, “Following a notice that was released to the public on March 1 (titled Licensing Centre forced to shut down following ongoing protests), Mogale City Licensing Centre wishes to inform members of the public that its normal operations have resumed.

The closure was due to harsh demonstrations by the National Driving School Association of South Africa affecting centres across the province, which necessitated management to temporarily suspend all its services to guarantee the safety of employees and members of the public making use of the centre.

“We ask for your understanding and patience as we work hard to cover the backlog caused by the strike. We thank you.”