Durban – The Road Traffic Management Corporation has welcomed a decision by the Durban Special Commercial Crimes Court to convict four learner licence applicants to five year imprisonment or R5000 for attempting to obtain licences fraudulently.
The four accused persons namely, Mr Siyabonga Brian Thulebona Mlotshwa (31), Mr Nhlanhla Prince Zondi (55), Mr Mbuyiselwa Excellent Zondi (31) and Mr Alex Vusumuzi Nzama (25) were sentenced when they appeared in court today.
They pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud. The accused admitted that they had paid money for a learner licence examiner to unlawfully point correct answers to enable them to pass their tests fraudulently.
They also admitted that they had engaged a third party who facilitated the application process on their behalf and that they did not have their eyes tested as prescribed and that the information contained in the application forms ( Application For Learners Licence LL1 ) was fraudulent.
The four were part of 15 people, including six officials, who were arrested when the National Traffic Anti-Corruption Unit of the RTMC, the Hawks and the KwaZulu Natal Department of Transport raided they Umngeni Municipality’s licensing department in March last year.
Five other learners who were arrested in the same raid were found guilty and sentenced last month to five years or R5000, half of which was suspended for five years.
The trial of the six officials has been set down for 10 days starting on June 24 this year. The convicted learners have been warned that they may be called to give evidence when the trial of the officials starts.
The sentence imposed on the four learners has been reduced by half suspended for five years. They are not to be found guilty of fraud or theft or attempt thereof in that period.
