By Marcus Moloko
The North Gauteng High Court has scrapped the Department of Transport’s R898 million tender for new smart driving licence cards, citing irregularities.
Motorists could face delays, possible backlogs and continued reliance on outdated licence cards until a new tender process is completed.
In August 2024, the Department of Transport awarded French biometric security firm IDEMIA Identity and Security SA a contract worth R898 million to supply a new machine for printing secure smart driving licence cards.
The tender was meant to replace South Africa’s ageing card printer, which has suffered repeated breakdowns and caused backlogs in licence renewals.
However, the Auditor-General flagged serious irregularities in the procurement process, including poor supplier vetting and inflated costs.
Acting on these findings, the Department of Transport approached the courts to have the tender reviewed.
The Gauteng North High Court declared the tender irregular, invalid, unlawful, and unenforceable.
The court ordered
You’ve reached your free article limit
Subscribe to enjoy unlimited access to trusted journalism. Cancel anytime.
Subscribe nowNeed help? molokom@insidepolitic.co.za
