Why South African driver’s licence cards expire every five years
South Africa’s driving licence cards are valid for five years because the material they were originally made from was believed to only last that long.
That is according to court documents filed by transport minister Fikile Mbalula responding to Afriforum’s challenge against the driver’s licence card expiry periods.
The civil rights organisation maintains that it is unlawful for licence cards to expire, saying it is inconsistent with the National Road Traffic Act.
Afriforum also argues there is insufficient legislation to enforce the requirement.
“Afriforum’s legal action aims to obtain a court order stating that the legislation that purports to prescribe the five-year renewal period for driving license cards is unreasonable, arbitrary, and vague,” the organisation said.
“Motorists may not be punished if they drive with expired driving license cards,” it continued.
“Afriforum, therefore, requests from the court that the renewal period of driving license cards should be reviewed and scrapped.”
Aside from the material supposedly not lasting longer than five years, Afriforum said further reasons from the department to motivate the renewal period were scant.
“The court record shows that it is an entirely inadequate and irrational explanation to prescribe the five-year renewal period simply because the material of the driver’s license cards allegedly cannot last longer,” said Afriforum campaign officer Reiner Duvenage.
Afriforum is not the only organisation calling for an extension of the validity period.
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) and Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) have advocated for a 10-year validity period for the cards.
Newly-printed driver’s licence cards at the Driver’s Licence Card Account (DLCA) printing facility
However, Outa differs from Afriforum regarding the legislation being insufficient to enforce card renewals.
“We believe that if you read the NRT Act and the regulations together, it is clear that the intention was to create a process for a driving licence card as proof that you have a licence, to be renewed every five years,” said Outa.
“It is accepted practice worldwide that licences or licence cards must be renewed.”
Outa said it has determined that the average renewal period in 35 countries worldwide was 8.5 years.
It favours a 10-year validity period as it would lower the administrative burden on road traffic departments that have to handle renewals.
Furthermore, Outa believes it would reduce fines for motorists who have been struggling to renew their licences due to a major backlog in available slots.
This was exacerbated by years of alleged corruption at driver’s licence testing centres (DLTCs), Covid-19, and the breakdown of the country’s only’s card printing machine between November 2021 and January 2022.
More recently, Mbalula has appeared to come around to the idea and repeatedly said his department was looking at extending the validity period.
“Mbalula himself recently admitted that the legislation does not make it very clear that the driving license cards must be renewed every five years,” Afriforum said, referring to a statement the minister recently made in an interview.
Mbalula has also repeatedly punted a new and improved physical driving licence card and a digital licence that would include newer technologies to align them with international standards.
Afriforum said despite the minister’s apparent willingness to consider extending the renewal period, it would continue with its legal action.
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