{"id":264501,"date":"2025-06-23T09:26:35","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T07:26:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnuus\/?p=264501"},"modified":"2026-03-31T16:24:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T14:24:15","slug":"da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\/","title":{"rendered":"DA calls for urgent reform as driving licence crisis deepens"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CAPE TOWN<\/strong> – The Democratic Alliance (DA) has responded to the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA)\u2019s recent call for the suspension of fines against motorists who were unable to renew their licences, insisting that more fundamental reforms are needed beyond temporary relief measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This comes after South Africa\u2019s sole driving licence card printing machine, which broke down on 5 February, has only now resumed operations after more than four months of inactivity. The extended breakdown has contributed to a staggering backlog of over 747 000 unissued driving licence cards across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the Department of Transport has confirmed that the machine is back online and efforts are underway to clear the massive backlog, the DA argues that this temporary fix fails to address deeper systemic problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe collapse of the system stems from the Department\u2019s failure to replace the 26-year-old printer,\u201d said a DA spokesperson. \u201cThis failure was caused by a bungled tender process that inexplicably ballooned from R486 million to R898 million and is now tied up in litigation, effectively paralysing any meaningful reform.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opposition party has outlined a series of demands, calling for the Minister of Transport to table the full Auditor-General\u2019s report on the failed tender in Parliament, to summon Driving Licence Card Account (DLCA) and Department officials before the Portfolio Committee to account for their actions, and to deliver a comprehensive recovery plan with clear timelines to operationalise a second printer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most significantly, the DA has renewed its call for the decentralisation of driving licence card production to provinces, arguing that breaking the national bottleneck is essential to building a more resilient and responsive system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSouth Africans should not be punished for government\u2019s administrative collapse,\u201d the DA said in a statement. \u201cThey deserve a system that works.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The current crisis highlights ongoing challenges in South Africa\u2019s transport infrastructure and administrative systems, with ordinary citizens bearing the brunt of institutional failures. As the backlog continues to affect hundreds of thousands of motorists, pressure mounts on government officials to implement lasting solutions rather than temporary fixes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CAPE TOWN – The Democratic Alliance (DA) has responded to the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA)\u2019s recent call for the suspension of fines against motorists who were unable to renew […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":303623,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"67","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"30","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_eb_attr":"","_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"2","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"1","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"","background_color":"","block_editor":"1","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[""],"pongrass_image":[""],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[8194,8070,8195],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-264501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-broken-printing-machine","tag-da","tag-drivers-licence"],"yoast_head":"\nDA calls for urgent reform as driving licence crisis deepens | BloemNews Express<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"DA calls for urgent reform as driving licence crisis deepens, insisting on systemic changes beyond temporary relief measures.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"DA calls for urgent reform as driving licence crisis deepens\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"DA calls for urgent reform as driving licence crisis deepens, insisting on systemic changes beyond temporary relief measures.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"BloemNews Express\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-23T07:26:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-31T14:24:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/traffic-officer-driving-licence.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1380\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"776\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Novus Media\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Novus Media\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Novus Media\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/49e93221c326784f951cb85182b156e6\"},\"headline\":\"DA calls for urgent reform as driving licence crisis deepens\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-23T07:26:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-31T14:24:15+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":353,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/traffic-officer-driving-licence.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"broken printing machine\",\"DA\",\"drivers licence\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\\\/\",\"name\":\"DA calls for urgent reform as driving licence crisis deepens | BloemNews Express\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/traffic-officer-driving-licence.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-23T07:26:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-31T14:24:15+00:00\",\"description\":\"DA calls for urgent reform as driving licence crisis deepens, insisting on systemic changes beyond temporary relief measures.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/traffic-officer-driving-licence.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/traffic-officer-driving-licence.jpg\",\"width\":1380,\"height\":776},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"DA calls for urgent reform as driving licence crisis deepens\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\",\"name\":\"BloemNuus\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"BloemNuus\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"BloemNuus\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/bloemnuus\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/bloemnuus\"],\"description\":\"BloemNews is a prominent newspaper in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State province in South Africa. BloemNews serves the local community with coverage of regional news, events, and issues of interest. The newspaper provides updates on a variety of topics, including local politics, business, sports, and social matters, with a focus on the city and surrounding areas. Its publication is a reflection of Bloemfontein\u2019s vibrant community, catering to both English and Afrikaans-speaking readers. It also serves as an important platform for local advertising, businesses, and public announcements. In Bloemfontein, BloemNews is often considered a key source of information.\",\"email\":\"bloemnuus@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"051-4047600\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/49e93221c326784f951cb85182b156e6\",\"name\":\"Novus Media\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Novus Media\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"DA calls for urgent reform as driving licence crisis deepens | BloemNews Express","description":"DA calls for urgent reform as driving licence crisis deepens, insisting on systemic changes beyond temporary relief measures.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"DA calls for urgent reform as driving licence crisis deepens","og_description":"DA calls for urgent reform as driving licence crisis deepens, insisting on systemic changes beyond temporary relief measures.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\/","og_site_name":"BloemNews Express","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/","article_published_time":"2025-06-23T07:26:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-31T14:24:15+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1380,"height":776,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/traffic-officer-driving-licence.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Novus Media","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Novus Media","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\/"},"author":{"name":"Novus Media","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/49e93221c326784f951cb85182b156e6"},"headline":"DA calls for urgent reform as driving licence crisis deepens","datePublished":"2025-06-23T07:26:35+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-31T14:24:15+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\/"},"wordCount":353,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/traffic-officer-driving-licence.jpg","keywords":["broken printing machine","DA","drivers licence"],"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2025","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\/","name":"DA calls for urgent reform as driving licence crisis deepens | BloemNews Express","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/traffic-officer-driving-licence.jpg","datePublished":"2025-06-23T07:26:35+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-31T14:24:15+00:00","description":"DA calls for urgent reform as driving licence crisis deepens, insisting on systemic changes beyond temporary relief measures.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/traffic-officer-driving-licence.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/traffic-officer-driving-licence.jpg","width":1380,"height":776},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/da-calls-for-urgent-reform-as-driving-licence-crisis-deepens\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"DA calls for urgent reform as driving licence crisis deepens"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/","name":"BloemNuus","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization","name":"BloemNuus","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"BloemNuus"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bloemnuus"],"description":"BloemNews is a prominent newspaper in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State province in South Africa. BloemNews serves the local community with coverage of regional news, events, and issues of interest. The newspaper provides updates on a variety of topics, including local politics, business, sports, and social matters, with a focus on the city and surrounding areas. Its publication is a reflection of Bloemfontein\u2019s vibrant community, catering to both English and Afrikaans-speaking readers. It also serves as an important platform for local advertising, businesses, and public announcements. In Bloemfontein, BloemNews is often considered a key source of information.","email":"bloemnuus@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"051-4047600","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/49e93221c326784f951cb85182b156e6","name":"Novus Media","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Novus Media"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/traffic-officer-driving-licence.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":303032,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/backlog-slowly-eliminated-20220222\/","url_meta":{"origin":264501,"position":0},"title":"Backlog slowly eliminated","author":"Novus Media","date":"23 February 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The Free State Department of Police, Roads and Transport has urged motorists to renew their driving licences before 31 March.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":302790,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/licence-delay-worsens-20220517\/","url_meta":{"origin":264501,"position":1},"title":"Licence delay worsens","author":"Novus Media","date":"18 May 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Free State motorists will have to be even more patient in waiting to receive their driving licence cards after renewal.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":302795,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/grace-exhausted-20220510\/","url_meta":{"origin":264501,"position":2},"title":"Grace exhausted","author":"Novus Media","date":"11 May 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The final deadline for the renewal of driving licences that expired during the Covid-19 lockdown period was Thursday (05\/05).","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/f0ba8886964741b5bb8d586f13cebee5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/f0ba8886964741b5bb8d586f13cebee5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/f0ba8886964741b5bb8d586f13cebee5.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/f0ba8886964741b5bb8d586f13cebee5.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/f0ba8886964741b5bb8d586f13cebee5.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/f0ba8886964741b5bb8d586f13cebee5.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":50107,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-issue-temporary-firearm-permits-20220916-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":264501,"position":3},"title":"Police issue temporary firearm permits","author":"Novus Media","date":"16 September 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The news that the South African Police Service will issue temporary firearm permits to owners who\u2019s licence applications have not yet been approved, is welcomed widely.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/9e13fb0246a94de4850f7cc09e831780.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/9e13fb0246a94de4850f7cc09e831780.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/9e13fb0246a94de4850f7cc09e831780.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/9e13fb0246a94de4850f7cc09e831780.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/9e13fb0246a94de4850f7cc09e831780.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/9e13fb0246a94de4850f7cc09e831780.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45228,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/retail-group-slashes-the-cost-of-car-licence-renewals-20231219\/","url_meta":{"origin":264501,"position":4},"title":"Retail group slashes the cost of car licence renewals","author":"Novus Media","date":"3 January 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"A giant South African retail group is offering vehicle owners money back in their pockets with a discounted fee for car licence renewals. This offer is valid until 31 January 2024.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/63de88b4d2df457eb4851d21fade4ea6.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/63de88b4d2df457eb4851d21fade4ea6.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/63de88b4d2df457eb4851d21fade4ea6.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/63de88b4d2df457eb4851d21fade4ea6.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/63de88b4d2df457eb4851d21fade4ea6.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/63de88b4d2df457eb4851d21fade4ea6.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":305227,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/two-arrested-for-manufacturing-fraudulent-driving-licences-and-vehicle-documents\/","url_meta":{"origin":264501,"position":5},"title":"Two arrested for manufacturing fraudulent driving licences and vehicle documents","author":"Novus Media","date":"27 October 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The investigation began on Thursday, 23 October, when a 51-year-old man visited Thabure SAPS station in Central Park to certify a driving licence. Upon inspecting the document, a vigilant SAPS member suspected it to be fraudulent. The Traffic Department and Law Enforcement were immediately contacted and subsequently verified that the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fraud-1-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fraud-1-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fraud-1-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fraud-1-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fraud-1-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Novus Media","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=264501"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264501\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":264505,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264501\/revisions\/264505"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/303623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=264501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=264501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=264501"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=264501"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=264501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}