The SA Bureau of Standards and the national vehicle licensing authority are blaming each other for hundreds of commercial vehicles ending up on the country's roads without roadworthy certificates.
This came out after an expose on the TV programme Carte Blanche on September 23, 2007.
About 420 Asiawing medium commercial vehicles (more than 3500kg) were imported by China Motor Franchise - which was not available for comment - and registered and licensed without passing the necessary tests.
Theuns Blom, senior manager of automotive at the regulatory division of the SABS, said that in terms of the National Road Traffic Act the vehicles should not have been registered without roadworthy certificates.
He said the SABS's responsibility was to determine the compliance of a product to the minimum safety, health and environmental requirements laid down by legislation but eNatis project manager Werner Koekemoer claimed the unprocedural licensing was caused by the SABS.
Road Traffic Management Centre chief executive Thabo Tsoletsane said there was "an issue" about the model numbers entered on the traffic management system by the SABS after it had completed the homologation of these vehicles.
He said the system incorrectly showed that these vehicles were roadworthy, which had now been corrected.
Transport department spokesperson Collen Msibi, however, took a more conciliatory stance, saying there was no need "to point fingers" and everyone involved in the process "needed to join forces" to get these vehicles off South Africa's roads.
Owners of these vehicles have reported major technical problems involving the steering, clutch and brakes.
Blom said the SABS would complete its evaluation on the Asiawings by the end of the first week in October 2007.
"The roadworthiness testing of new or used vehicles is not the responsibility of the SABS," he said, but of the vehicle owners and sales outlets.
However, the SABS will contact the owners of the vehicles to inform them of potential roadworthiness and safety concerns. Quality-related issues, he said, should be referred to the dealers and the importer.