Confess before we get to you, Duma warns licence fraudsters

Transport MEC mulls full-scale probe into licensing centres, urges those implicated in fraud to confess voluntarily.

April 13, 2026

Andiswa Mchunu 2 minutes read

Transport MEC Siboniso Duma Photo: DoT/WhatsApp

KwaZulu-Natal authorities have launched an aggressive province-wide crackdown on driver’s licence fraud syndicates, warning motorists who obtained licences illegally to come forward or face imminent arrest as investigations close in.

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma has urged those implicated in fraud to voluntarily confess, saying the government is considering a truth and reconciliation (TRC)-style process to expose the full scale of corruption within licensing centres, The Witness reports

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This marks the beginning of the dismantling of syndicates involved in fraud and corruption associated with driver’s licence tests.

The crackdown follows arrests at the Mkondeni Drivers Licence Testing Centre in Pietermaritzburg last week, where a learner driver and an instructor were detained for allegedly paying bribes to manipulate testing outcomes.

The incident has intensified scrutiny of the licensing system.

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The province’s Transport and Traffic Inspection Unit, revived under the #NenzaniLaEzweni operation, is leading targeted raids and investigations across KwaZulu-Natal licensing centres, with officials saying corruption networks are deeply embedded and highly organised.

Department spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya said preliminary investigations had already exposed clear patterns in how the syndicates operate, describing a “corruption playbook” that points to systemic rot.

He confirmed that further arrests are expected as investigators move to dismantle the network of officials, driving instructors and intermediaries allegedly involved.

These rogue elements must be exposed and isolated if we are to end the carnage on our roads.

Duma said the province was receiving strong backing from the public as authorities intensified the crackdown, with communities increasingly coming forward to support enforcement efforts.

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“There is overwhelming support from members of the public,” he said, adding that public co-operation was becoming a key pillar in dismantling organised fraud networks.

As part of the next phase of the crackdown, Duma confirmed that the government would roll out additional reporting mechanisms to encourage whistle-blowing, including a toll-free whistleblower number to be issued this week.

He said those implicated in licence fraud would face severe consequences under the law as the province moved toward stricter enforcement measures.

“The consequence management policy and all relevant legal prescripts will also be used to guide harsh sentences for those involved,” he said.

He said the provincial government was committed to transparency throughout the legal process, including making court proceedings more accessible to the public.

Political opposition was sceptical of the TRC-style approach. DA transport spokesperson Rina Gokool warned that South Africa could not trade accountability for amnesty, arguing that those who obtained licences fraudulently must face the full force of the law.

“South Africans deserve safe roads, not a system riddled with corruption and political gimmicks,” she said, adding that corruption must be prosecuted and licensing systems urgently overhauled.

The scandal has sent shockwaves through the driving instruction sector, prompting the Pietermaritzburg Driving Schools Association to distance itself from those arrested.

Chairperson Saziso Msomi said the body condemned corruption and could not be held responsible for the actions of individual instructors, stressing that it was not a regulatory authority.

He also moved to reassure the public that the Mkondeni Driving and Testing Centre remained fully operational, despite rumours circulating on social media.

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