A damning report by the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has uncovered widespread, systemic fraud at vehicle testing centres across South Africa, revealing that unroadworthy vehicles are being illegally certified. The investigation found multiple instances where vehicles that failed roadworthiness inspections in Gauteng were, often within the same day, issued valid certificates by testing stations in Limpopo and the North West without ever being physically present for a re-inspection.
The findings, which have been handed to the Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, and other authorities, highlight a critical threat to public safety. “From what we uncovered, it is clear that these vehicles never left Gauteng for a physical inspection in another province, but that roadworthy certificates were nevertheless issued. This is fraud,” stated Rudie Heyneke, Senior Project Manager at OUTA. The organisation has called for an urgent and comprehensive investigation, warning that such practices have “profound implications for road safety.”
Unroadworthy vehicles are a major factor in South Africa’s high rate of road accidents, which cost the economy an estimated R186.5 billion annually. According to the Transport Ministry’s December 2024 Road Safety Report, 16 527 vehicles were found to be unroadworthy during the festive season.
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A Network of Corruption
OUTA’s report points to a sophisticated network of corruption involving private business owners and public officials who have financial interests in the testing stations. The investigation suggests that some vehicle owners bypass legitimate processes by sending vehicle details via WhatsApp and paying an inflated fee to receive a fraudulent roadworthy certificate.
A significant concern raised is the conflict of interest where owners of large vehicle fleets, such as bus and taxi companies, are linked to the testing stations certifying their own vehicles. “According to law, buses must be inspected every six months,” Heyneke explained. “By ‘testing’ the vehicles and issuing your own roadworthy certificates, you save your transport company a significant amount of money annually.” This practice of systemic fraud allows potentially dangerous vehicles, used for public transport, onto the roads.
OUTA has urged authorities to prosecute all individuals involved and to implement regulatory reforms. These include enforcing a National Minimum Test Time (NMTT) for inspections in all provinces and introducing laws to prevent transport operators from certifying their own fleets. The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has confirmed it is analysing the information provided by OUTA and that its own investigations into vehicle testing fraud are ongoing.
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