Cape Town - Eighty-Four SA Post Office (Sapo) employees have been placed on suspension for issuing fraudulent vehicle licences nationwide, while 15 have already been fired.

This is according to Communications and Digital Technologies (CDT) Minister Mondli Gungubele.

His revelation comes six months after the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) chief executive, advocate Makhosini Msibi, revealed that R3 billion was lost due to fraudulently-issued licence discs.

Speaking to the Cape Argus, DA spokesperson on communications and digital technology Dianne Kohler-Barnard said the modus operandi included selling fake vehicle licences, while some officials found ways around the system to issue licences fraudulently.

Msibi said the RMTC and the SIU were gung-ho in probing 800 cases.

In December, DA MP Katlego Motshidi-Bodlani asked the department about whether charges were brought against any of the individuals implicated in issuing fraudulent vehicle licences.

Gungubele, responding recently, said he was advised by the SAPO that 24 criminal cases were registered with the SAPS for fraud and contravening section 7 of the Cybercrimes Act No. 19 of 2020 – unlawful acquisition, possession, provision, receipt or use of a password, access code or similar data or device.

Gungubele said: “Internal disciplinary proceedings have also been instituted for contravention of the Cybercrimes Act and not protecting usernames and passwords, as well as not following policies as required by the RTMC.”

He said 87 employees had been identified for contravening the Cybercrimes Act and policy.

Three of the employees resigned shortly before they were served suspensions, while 84 were eventually suspended.

He said 15 disciplinary hearings had been concluded and, after guilty convictions, the employees were dismissed.

Gungubele said 69 employees were on suspension and were waiting for the conclusion of the disciplinary processes.

Kohler-Barnard said it was good that Sapo was holding corrupt officials to account.

She said corruption at Sapo was on a grand scale and ranged from fraudulent vehicle licences to cyberattacks and officials who docked salaries from employees and pocketed the medical aid premiums for themselves.

soyiso.maliti@inl.co.za

Cape Argus