Durban – Five KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport officials, who allegedly took hefty bribes in exchange for issuing permits to taxi operators without the proper documentation, were arrested by the Hawks on Wednesday.
The suspects, aged between 33 and 61, appeared in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court on 252 counts of fraud and corruption totalling R7 million and were released on R5 000 bail each.
Provincial Hawks spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said it was alleged that the suspects were charging R25 000 per permit.
“A case of fraud and corruption was reported at the Pietermaritzburg police station and the docket was allocated to the Durban Serious Commercial Crime Unit for further investigation. Following an intensive investigation by the unit, the five suspects were arrested and charged,” said Mhlongo.
The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) KZN said it was pleased with the arrests as such conduct was crippling the industry.
Santaco KZN’s Sfiso Shangase said the corruption related to the issuing of illegal permits had been one of the main reasons behind the violence and killings in the industry.
He called on authorities to clamp down further on the corruption by arresting those “who were bribing the officials for the illegal permits”.
“Those from the taxi industry must also be arrested. They have broken the law by not following the proper protocol in obtaining the operating permits. All those involved in these crimes must face the full might of the law,” he said.
Shangase urged operators to distance themselves from corrupt activities and follow proper processes that would allow them to operate legally.
“People are killing each other and they are fighting over taxi routes. It is shocking to note that people from the transport department are issuing false permits which is causing a war in the taxi industry,” he added.
Sharon Hoosen, DA spokesperson on transport in KZN, said the arrests reflected the seriousness of the issue which had sparked constant upset and violence among taxi operators.
She said the issue of operating permits was consistently raised with the department in an attempt to correct the fraudulent activity, which was now shown to be coming from the department itself.
“The commuters suffer because of officials who are always wanting to make a quick buck while innocent lives are being lost during vengeance attacks in the taxi industry.
“I have no doubt that this is not the last time one would hear about the fraudulent issuing of operating licences,” she said.
Hoosen called on MEC for Transport Bheki Ntuli to take a firm stance and rearrange the department with immediate effect, to eradicate corruption.
“The needs and safety of the people of KZN must be made a priority and incompetent officials need to go. Don’t wait until they are caught red-handed,” said Hoosen.
The IFP’s Steven Moodley said while the party commended the Hawks’ on the arrests, the taxi operators allegedly involved in the corrupt activity also needed to be brought to book.
“They must not be exempt from the investigation. The law is clear that if you a pay bribe, you are also corrupt. These officials must come clean about who else is working with them in the issuing of these operating licences,” said Moodley.
“The department must also shoulder the blame for corruption involving the issuing of operating permits. They are still not efficient in issuing permits to taxi drivers. Taxi operators for far too long have raised serious concerns about the delay in the issuing of permits.”
Ntuli said it was unacceptable that officials were abusing their power to serve their personal interests, particularly as this involved the taxi industry which is already marred by violence and instability.
“Their unscrupulous actions may extend far and beyond fraud and corruption, but could include the tragic loss of lives due to disputes over operating permits and routes,” he said.
Ntuli said they were investigating the entire provincial regulatory entity responsible for the regulation of the public transport industry in the province, including the issuing of operating licences to public transport operators.
“As part of our anti-corruption strategy, we have established the ethics committee that looks into all unethical behaviour in the department, including fraud and corruption.
“The committee will ensure that all risks concerning ethics, fraud and corruption are assessed and monitor the implementation of the actions identified to mitigate such risks.”
Ntuli added that attention was also being given to driving licence testing centres across KZN. “We are following up on leads of possible irregularities or acts of criminality at these facilities.”
Ntuli said that more arrests were eminent as investigations were ongoing and those from the taxi industry who were colluding with the officials would also face “the full might of the law”.
The Mercury