In a bid to combat fraud and corruption, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport has launched a cashless payment system.
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In a bid to combat fraud and corruption, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport has launched a cashless payment system in motor licensing offices across the province.
In a statement released to the media on Wednesday, Siboniso Duma, the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, explained that the decision to transition to a cashless system was driven not only by a desire to reduce fraud but also by the increasing number of cash-in-transit (CIT) heists in the province.
"Following a surge in cash-in-transit heists in KwaZulu-Natal, we wish to announce that yesterday, April 1, 2025, we made a historic transition to a cashless payment system in our motor licensing offices across the province," Duma said.
This year alone, the province has seen a rise in CIT heists, with police recently confirming the deaths of several suspects wanted in connection with these crimes during a shootout in Ridgeview.
Duma urged the public to embrace the new system, highlighting its potential benefits for both the department and the community.
"We are encouraged by the members of the public who have embraced this change and are now using debit and credit cards in our motor licensing offices. We believe that embracing digital evolution will help us as the department to save every cent and ensure that we help fund programmes of service delivery of this democratic government," he said.
The MEC also revealed that the department had collected over R2.3 billion from motor licensing offices this financial year alone.
"We wish to announce that during this financial year 2024/2025, we have collected more than R2.3 billion from our motor licensing offices.
"This money is being redirected to Treasury for further allocation towards health, education, social development, water, electricity, the building of houses, road construction, and other government departments," he added.
mthobisi.nozulela@iol.co.za
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