TSHWANE METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY
Item 6, Part I – Fast tracking services on Saturdays
in support of the queue management model
within licensing services
SPEECH BY COUNCILLOR RICHARD DINKELMANN (ACDP)
27 JULY 2006 

 

 

Thank you Mr Speaker. 

Following up on what previous Speakers have said, the ACDP would like to say that it welcomes that report, that we are attempting at least, to give a better service to our ratepayers.  Having said that and what the report deals with is mainly the motor vehicle licences.  The biggest concern Speaker, however, is the driver's licences, as Cllr Fourie has pointed out.  My son is also in the process of getting a driver's licence, or attempting to get a driver's licence, and I have followed the same route that Cllr Fourie is following - I have not used my office as a Councillor to take a shortcut - just to feel what it feels like to be an ordinary citizen in the city.  And I am shocked.  I am shocked that it takes days, days of calling.  He sat, he himself, my son, sat on the phone for days on end, during his holiday, to attempt to get an appointment.  Eventually he got an appointment, but it was for uh, the office in Bronkhorstspruit, which is outside the Metro.  And I support, previous speakers – we need to give the service here.  The law's changing shortly, it was again on the front page of the newspaper yesterday, the law's changing shortly, that you have to be tested in the area where you reside. 

So, Speaker this, this situation is totally unacceptable, and the ACDP would like to call on the Mayor, the Municipal Manager, and senior officials to address this, with urgency.  We cannot tolerate it any longer.  What we are doing in fact, we are encouraging lawlessness, we are encouraging people to go for fraudulent licences and that we cannot condone.  I don’t think anyone here can condone that.  So the appeal is for, is for urgent action and to come up with a plan that will sort out the problem. 

Thank you.

Richard Dinkelmann
ACDP Councillor: Tshwane Metro
rwdinkel@mweb.co.za
+27 83 263 2664 (mobile)
+27 86 671 9044 (fax)