Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) is vouching for transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga’s reappointment despite underachievement accusations.
This despite underachievement accusations from the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) insisting that she should not make a return to the cabinet, let alone as transport minister.
Wayne Duvenage, Outa CEO, said reappointing Chikunga would continue the department’s poor performance. It will also impact service delivery in a negative way.
“From Outa’s perspective, we believe meaningful change for the better. [This] will come if President Ramaphosa appoints the right people into cabinet,” said Duvenage.
Chikunga’s reign fraught with irregularities
“We need strong leaders, especially in ministerial departments that have consistently underperformed. [Those that] exhibited gross procurement irregularities, and suffered from corruption and maladministration. [Thus] severely impacting the country’s economy, unemployment, and poverty levels,” he added.
He said Chikunga’s reign has been suffering from corruption in license testing centres. The extended validity period of licenses was scrapped without clear reason, he added.
Duvenage said the National Administration Traffic Information (NaTIS) system also suffered. He said it was disappointing that NaTIS has been defeating its purpose under Chikunga.
RTMC says it’s assassination of character
In a statement, RTMC labelled Outa’s criticism as an assassination of Chikunga’s character. This ahead of the cabinet announcement, which is expected this week.
RTMC accused Outa of being misguided over the decisions on the upgrading of the license printing machine. This is the new operation as soon as proper processes have been followed.
“Users of the Natis system will also be shocked to hear about the so-called inefficiency of the Natis that Outa is referring to. More than 1.9 million vehicle owners have been able to renew their vehicle licenses on the Natis online system since its launch in 2022. And more registering daily,” reads the statement in part.
They said the system has also served as a platform trusted by banks and vehicle dealers to register transactions.
Chikunga’s success in smart enrolment units, drop in road fatalities
During Chikunga’s reign, according to the statement, the road fatalities records have dropped to 11,883 in 2023 compared to 14,050 in 2017. Outa is then advised to join road safety activities to help reduce the number further.
“The RTMC is currently in the process of rolling out the smart enrolment units. These have been shown to reduce waiting times at driving license testing centres. The improved centres are in KZN, the Western Cape, and the Eastern Cape. They had been implemented successfully at the RTMC centres in Midrand and Centurion,” reads the statement.
Outa also demands that minerals and energy minister Gwede Mantashe be removed from office. It also demands that higher education minister Blade Nzimande also be removed from the cabinet.
“Outa has engaged with several whistleblowers over the years from departments within these ministries. Our investigation and research shows ineptitude and a lack of will. The lack of will to address gross inefficiencies and system challenges in these departments.
“These problems have been a burden to our country and its citizens. They increased the cost of living and doing business in South Africa,” said Duvenage.
Increased cost of living has been a problem and have been a burden to our country and its citizens and doing business in South Africa …