RompelStompel
Senior Member
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,9294,2-7-1442_2091585,00.html
Johannesburg - Licence offices countrywide will shut down next week and it will be impossible to make appointments for driver's and learner's licences, licence renewals or vehicle registrations.
Backlogs in some provinces could get worse while the new eNatis system is being implemented from 5 to 12 April.
To date no information about the planned shutdown had been released to the public from a national level.
Car dealers could be the worst off because they will not be able to sell new vehicles during this period, as registration will be impossible.
Brand Pretorius, executive chief of McCarthy, said April was going to be a difficult and disappointing month for dealers. "A blockage in cash flow and transactions which can not be completed, could pinch the pockets of smaller dealers especially."
Pretorius said he only found out about the planned closure a week ago.
According to Wesbank, about 1 800 vehicles are sold daily in South Africa.
The switch is part of the national transport department's plan to create a more streamlined system, and to stop corruption.
The new system is expected to cost more than R311m and will be website-based. It will store more than eight billion records.
"The closure will be uncomfortable, but we have to do it in order to erase the backlog," said Ntau Letebele, spokesperson for the national department of transport.
A person involved with eNatis, who wanted to remain anonymous, said several problems were experienced during preliminary tests and a "malfunctioning system" could be expected until the end of April.
Peter Mazonkai, chairperson of the South African Institute for Driving Instructors (Saida) said some officials battled for more than half an hour during training to make one appointment, and it would be difficult for the department to erase the backlog.
"We want to be positive about the new system, but the problem is too big and eNatis might make it worse," he said.
Saida's members were also concerned about not having received notice of the planned shutdown.
"Our members are going to lose business. I heard about the planned shutdown by chance from a testing official in the Western Cape," he said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people waited outside two licence offices in Gauteng for appointments for driver's and learner's licences.
Gerrie Gerneke, director of Johannesburg metro police, said the queues differed at the licence offices. "Some mornings there is a crowd of people, but by the afternoon there are almost none," he said.
Gerneke said licence offices in Johannesburg, like others countrywide, would be open only for a few tests for driver's and learner's licences while the switch to eNatis was made.
Appointments made earlier will be handled, but no other services will be available," he said.
Gauteng's promised appointment system will be introduced in Johannesburg on Friday.
This province will make use of eNatis, but will handle their own appointments through the Gauteng shared service centre (GSSC).
The department could not say how big the backlog was for driver's and learner's licence appointments.
Johannesburg - Licence offices countrywide will shut down next week and it will be impossible to make appointments for driver's and learner's licences, licence renewals or vehicle registrations.
Backlogs in some provinces could get worse while the new eNatis system is being implemented from 5 to 12 April.
To date no information about the planned shutdown had been released to the public from a national level.
Car dealers could be the worst off because they will not be able to sell new vehicles during this period, as registration will be impossible.
Brand Pretorius, executive chief of McCarthy, said April was going to be a difficult and disappointing month for dealers. "A blockage in cash flow and transactions which can not be completed, could pinch the pockets of smaller dealers especially."
Pretorius said he only found out about the planned closure a week ago.
According to Wesbank, about 1 800 vehicles are sold daily in South Africa.
The switch is part of the national transport department's plan to create a more streamlined system, and to stop corruption.
The new system is expected to cost more than R311m and will be website-based. It will store more than eight billion records.
"The closure will be uncomfortable, but we have to do it in order to erase the backlog," said Ntau Letebele, spokesperson for the national department of transport.
A person involved with eNatis, who wanted to remain anonymous, said several problems were experienced during preliminary tests and a "malfunctioning system" could be expected until the end of April.
Peter Mazonkai, chairperson of the South African Institute for Driving Instructors (Saida) said some officials battled for more than half an hour during training to make one appointment, and it would be difficult for the department to erase the backlog.
"We want to be positive about the new system, but the problem is too big and eNatis might make it worse," he said.
Saida's members were also concerned about not having received notice of the planned shutdown.
"Our members are going to lose business. I heard about the planned shutdown by chance from a testing official in the Western Cape," he said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people waited outside two licence offices in Gauteng for appointments for driver's and learner's licences.
Gerrie Gerneke, director of Johannesburg metro police, said the queues differed at the licence offices. "Some mornings there is a crowd of people, but by the afternoon there are almost none," he said.
Gerneke said licence offices in Johannesburg, like others countrywide, would be open only for a few tests for driver's and learner's licences while the switch to eNatis was made.
Appointments made earlier will be handled, but no other services will be available," he said.
Gauteng's promised appointment system will be introduced in Johannesburg on Friday.
This province will make use of eNatis, but will handle their own appointments through the Gauteng shared service centre (GSSC).
The department could not say how big the backlog was for driver's and learner's licence appointments.
