Johannesburg - A traffic officer and a driving school instructor were arrested in Klerksdorp, in the North West, on Tuesday in connection with fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said.
Spokesperson Simon Zwane said the two men were arrested by the National Traffic Ant-Corruption Unit and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as the Hawks) after an investigation into allegations that the two men had conspired to issue driver's licences unlawfully to learner drivers.
"Sworn statements have been obtained from at least three females who alleged that they obtained driver's licences without undergoing the required test. The three claimed that they paid R5 000 each to the driving school instructor to obtain the documents. The allegation is that the instructor arranged with the traffic officer to issue the licences irregularly and illegally," Zwane said.
"The three females are expected to be give evidence when the trial of the two gentlemen gets underway. Meanwhile the illegally issued driver's licences will be cancelled and the three women subjected to proper testing. Incompetent driver's are a menace on South Africa roads and are believed to play a major influence in the country's high road deaths."
Zwane said that the RTMC obtained information which showed some driving schools play a key role in facilitating the "corrupt issuing of driver's licences to incompetent motorists".
He said that investigations continued and more arrests could be expected.
The men are expected to appear in court soon.