Motorists looking to stand in line and patiently wait to renew or receive their driver’s license will need to be patient and wait a little longer. This comes after Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula revealed earlier this week that South Africa’s only driver’s licence printer has been shipped to Germany for repairs.
“The license machine is in Germany, it has broken. I am going to be announcing temporary measures with regards to temporary license but I am moving ahead with the new driving license cards which I will announce in public,” said Mbalula during a press conference with the media.
According to News24, the same printer has been utilised since the 1990s. As the decades passed, each printer gave in to time until there was one left. Unfortunately, that is now coughing its last breath as German engineers attempt to work their magic.
Mbalula admits that the outdated machine should have been changed a long time ago.
“Why did we take so much time and all of that? Look when it happened. I was not here, I can only answer for when I’m here right, we should have long changed this but nonetheless, we are changing it in the sixth administration, and I’m not gonna say the previous ministers where sleeping on the job they were not.”
However, plans are now being put in place to get rid of the old machine completely, with Mbalula eager to present a new option to Cabinet, as per EWN.
“I’m doing away with the old machine and the only thing I will add is that whilst dealing away with that machine it got an accident and the is COVID-19 the machine must be taken to be repaired in Germany.”
“When Cabinet sits this year I will be on the door of Cabinet presenting the new machine, I’m done with the security features with the State Security Agency. Once Cabinet approves that, new machines are going to come,” he stated.
The Department of Transport extended its grace period for driving licence cards that expired during lockdown last year. This ends at the end of March 2022. However, motorists looking to renew their licence will now need to fork out money for a temporary licence as it is unclear when driver’s licence cards will be available again.
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