Outa Uncovers Large-Scale Fraud In Vehicle Roadworthiness Testing, Putting Millions At Risk

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has uncovered a massive fraud scheme involving vehicle roadworthiness testing.

The discovery, revealed a disturbing pattern where vehicles are issued with roadworthy certificates without undergoing proper inspections.

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The organization’s investigation points to a network of corrupt testing stations in Gauteng, Limpopo, and North West, which has reportedly been issuing certificates for vehicles that had never been physically inspected. despite failing initial roadworthy tests.

These fraudulent practices put millions of road users across South Africa at risk, highlighting serious flaws in the road safety system.

Outa’s report, compiled from an extensive investigation, was handed over to Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and provincial authorities.

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According to Rudie Heyneke, senior project manager at Outa, the certificates were issued sometimes within 30 minutes, even though the vehicles never left Gauteng for inspection.

“This is fraud,” said Heyneke, emphasizing the severity of the findings.

The investigation has revealed that vehicles that were failing roadworthy tests in Gauteng were later certified as roadworthy in other provinces, raising alarms about the integrity of the entire system.

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Heyneke disclosed that, “The report has been shared with the provinces to take the necessary action, and we are awaiting their feedback.”

Corruption Allegations And Arrests Linked To Testing Stations

Outa’s investigation also identified a deep-rooted network of corruption involving both private business owners and public officials with financial interests in vehicle testing stations.

The investigation focused on transport companies that test their own fleets, bypassing regular, legitimate inspections.

According to the law, buses are required to be inspected every six months, but this can be costly for transport companies.

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Some businesses have reportedly found a way to save money by simply issuing their own roadworthy certificates, rather than going through the proper channels for inspection.

Heyneke explained, “Testing a fleet of buses twice a year can be expensive. However, by testing the vehicles themselves and issuing their own certificates, transport companies save a significant amount of money annually.”

This widespread corruption has raised significant concerns about the safety of vehicles, particularly those used for passenger transport, such as buses and minibus taxis, which transport millions of South Africans daily.

Outa has specifically raised alarms about the safety of minibus taxis and urged authorities to ensure independent testing stations are responsible for conducting annual roadworthy tests, not stations linked to business owners or their associates.

“We call on authorities to ensure that independent testing stations conduct proper annual roadworthy testing. This will prevent the fraudulent practices we’ve uncovered from continuing.”

Calls For Immediate Reforms In Roadworthiness Testing System

The fraudulent practices uncovered by Outa have raised serious concerns about the safety of South Africa’s roads, especially in light of recent deadly bus accidents.

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On March 5, a tragic collision between a bus and a truck on the N6 in the Free State resulted in the deaths of 10 people, including a two-year-old child. Just days later, another bus crash in KwaZulu-Natal killed nine people.

Another incident occurred near Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, where a bus overturned, killing 16 passengers and injuring many others.

These incidents have intensified the calls for reform in the roadworthiness testing system.

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