South Africa’s only driver’s licence card machine in Germany for repairs

South Africa has sent its only driver’s licence printing machine to Germany for repairs, transport minister Fikile Mbalula has said.

“The license machine is in Germany. It has broken,” Mbalula told eNCA.

The minister said that its repairs had been delayed due to the festive season in Germany, as many people were away from work.

“The machine is being fixed in Germany. We have been affected by the festive season in Germany,” he said.

“It probably will take about a month or so, and the machine should be back.”

As the machine was the only one in the country, South Africa faces a growing driver’s licence printing backlog.

To counter this, the government is planning several measures to ease the backlog, including interim changes to temporary licences.

“I’m going to be announcing the temporary measures with regards to the temporary licence, but we are moving ahead at full speed with the new driver’s licence card, which I will also announce in public,” Mbalula said.

Government’s plans include bringing a new driver’s licence printing machine to South Africa.

“The machine that produces driver’s licences is the old machine. No other country in the world is still using that machine,” Mbalula said.

“That is why we are producing a new card.”

“There is going to be a new card and a new machine, which is at par with the developed world,” Mbalula added.

The minister also said that the only potential barrier to the new machine and card was Cabinet.

“The only hurdle with that is Cabinet. [At] any cabinet meeting, I am requesting the President to give me an opportunity to speed up the process of taking it to Cabinet,” Mbalula explained.

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