Driving Schools Block Entrance to Mbombela Traffic Department in Protest of R200 Increase in Bribery Fee

• Frustrations bubbled over in Mbombela on Tuesday when driving school instructors shuttered the local traffic department
• The instructors were protesting the increase in the bribery fee required for their students to pass driving tests
• It is alleged that examiners at the department had increased the bribe from R1 700 to R2 000, which the instructors couldn't afford

MBOMBELA - Driving school operators in Mpumalanga shut down the Mbombela traffic department to publically shame the facility for bribery and corruption.

The operators gathered at the facility's entrance on Tuesday, 1 November and shut the gates in protest of officials at the department increasing the bribery fee, Risefm reported.

The protesting operators alleged that examiners initially demanded to be paid R1 700 for their client to pass driving tests. Speaking to TimesLIVE, an anonymous operator said they were told last week that the bribe would increase to R2 000 starting on 1 November.

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The operator said they were protesting because they couldn't afford the increase in the bribe fee. The instructor added that the tester failed all students who didn't pay the incremented bribe amount.

The instructor went further to allege that everybody who tested on Wednesday, 2 November failed because they didn't pay the R2 000 bribe. The spokesperson for the community safety department, Moeti Mmusi, said the operators had to come forward with information for the claim to be investigated. Still, Mmusi warned that it would be difficult to prove that they failed because they refused to pay bribes.

Mmusi explained that camera footage for the testing yard could prove that the person tested did everything correctly; however, there is no way to prove the same for the road test.

South Africans react to the driving instructors protesting the bribe fee increase

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South Africans are shocked that the instructors weren't protesting the bribery itself but rather the demanded amount.

Below are some reactions:

@ThobelaNko commented:

"can't be"

@Konfidenxial claimed:

"We're paying more than that in Pretoria, R2500 to be exact. "

@abedhl suggested:

"Maybe a call with @MbalulaFikile might shed some light. "

@prespushrelease marvelled:

"They're not even scared to state that there is indeed bribery publicly ."

@Cedumcimbi added:

"Just imagine. Bribing officials is a new normal to the extent that we even strike for the money not to be increased."

National shutdown: Public servants unions issued non-resolution certificates, paving way for strike

In another story, Briefly News reported that the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has possibly granted unions representing public sector workers the green light for a national shutdown.

The unions representing over 800 000 workers were granted a non-resolution certificate on Tuesday, 1 November. The issuing of certificates came after union leaders and the national government failed to reach an agreement during the negotiations.

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It was announced that a 3% salary increase would be implemented for public sector workers despite unions demanding a 10% increase, according to BusinessTech. The certificates allow unions to serve the government with notice of a strike within a week.

Source: Briefly News