Minister Mbalula must clarify outrageous proposed licensing fees to motorists

8 September 2021

The DA calls on the Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, to immediately retract his proposal in government gazette no. 797 of 3 September 2021 where he published the Amendment of Road Traffic Management Corporation Regulations, 2007 that appears to include new fee proposals.

The outrage that followed the publication of this gazette shows that the Minister’s proposal needs urgent clarification. A single tweet does not suffice. If the proposal that motorists pay R250 just to book a slot online to renew their driving license cards is truly just an added option to move the process online and not an extra cost to motorists, it should be stated clearly.

What seems more likely, is that the Minister did indeed intend for motorists to shell out extra money and is now backtracking due to the justified outrage that followed.

The fact of the matter is that the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) currently has a R262 million surplus, and any extra cost to motorists would be nothing but daylight robbery.

Due to decades of ANC mismanagement and a Covid-19 lockdown that severely restricts economic activity, South Africa now has the highest rate of unemployment in the world. South Africans are struggling to provide their basic needs and many are reliant on their driving license cards to earn a living. To exploit motorists would be absolutely immoral and Minister Mbalula should rectify and clarify his proposal as a matter of urgency.

Issued by Chris Hunsinger, DA Shadow Minister of Transport, 8 September 2021