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21h ago

Gauteng High Court Sets Aside Driving‑Licence Card Tender, Orders New Bid and Interim Outsourcing

The ruling follows Auditor‑General findings of irregularities in the procurement process.

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The budget for the new machine was set at just over R486m, yet a tender worth R898m was awarded. Picture: AdobeStock
A South African ID book and driver’s licence. Picture: Gallo Images/Nicolene Olckers

Overview

  • On 6 January 2026, the Gauteng North High Court declared the Idemia award unlawful, invalid and unenforceable and set the tender aside.
  • The Department of Transport was ordered to re‑advertise the tender within 30 days, resetting the procurement for a new licence card printing system.
  • To keep services running, the court allowed the department to outsource the printing and issuing of cards to the Department of Home Affairs.
  • The State Security Agency approved a Government Printing Works prototype card and an RTMC–GPW data link was successfully tested, with Cabinet approval to be sought next.
  • The DLCA reported clearing the backlog on 9 December after producing 2,239,456 cards between 8 May and 8 December 2025.