The Power Report: System abets short cuts to corruption

You know something's drastically wrong with a system when it encourages ordinary law-abiding consumers to break the law.

While nothing justifies corruption and there's never an excuse for fraud, unwieldy official procedures, system failures and lack of resources seem to be doing a sterling job of turning respectable citizens into cheats.

An example of this can be found at Randburg driver's licence testing centre in Johannesburg, where inefficiency frustrates candidates to such an extent that, I'm reliably told, many either buy their test results or drive to another city or province for better service.

It flies in the face of Minister of Transport Sibusiso Ndebele's ongoing attempts to improve service at testing stations.

His efforts have already seen the validity of a learner's licence extended from 18 to 24 months, licence testing hours extended to include Saturdays and Sundays, and unannounced visits to testing stations countrywide.

Last month Ndebele appointed a task team to look into challenges, and is this month holding a summit for licensing officials to "renew their dedication" and ensure more training.

He's considering further legislative amendments and wants to introduce mobile testing centres. A survey to assess conditions, service levels and public perception at stations will be completed by year end.

It all sounds great. But it's cold comfort to consumers currently using the system.

"I have had the most horrific, frustrating, fruitless dealings with Randburg testing station trying to book a learner's licence for my daughter. I am not the only one - the system is truly ridiculous," reads a recent complaint.

"The more I tell my story, the more people confess to having fraudulently got their learner's or driver's licence. It's quite unbelievable. Alternatively, they are actually driving to places like Nigel, or even to the Free State, to try to book."

Why? Well, for starters, you have to visit three different buildings to complete the arduous process. Then, when you've finally got to the front of the final queue, you're given a single date to come back to sit your learner's test, with no alternative offered. So if you happen to have a doctor's appointment, a college exam, or a job interview scheduled for that same day, bad luck.

Your only option is to come back in a day or two, stand in line all over again, and pray the next date offered will be more suitable. And you can't ask your mother/brother/friend to do this queueing for you; if you're not there in person to receive your date, no deal.

Is this really official policy? Is such an impractical, inefficient system the best we can expect?

Certainly not, according to ministry spokesman Logan Maistry.

"The system does allow for alternative dates that may be given to applicants," Maistry said. "The dates are allocated in terms of the electronic national traffic information (e-NaTIS) system ... linked to the resources of a particular testing station."

Indeed, alternative dates seem to be on offer at other testing stations.

So why are consumers at Randburg getting the short end of the stick, I asked Maistry. He suggested I get feedback from the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport.

Well, that's easier said than done. It took more than a week, and repeated pleas, to get an answer. And it was hardly a complex one.

Turns out that Randburg has a "capacity" problem. More specifically, it has a critical shortage of examiners.

The solution? A departmental "turnaround strategy" for all provincial testing stations, which is expected to see "bookings into the future" opened.

"We are working to open booking slots into the future to avoid a situation where a person has to return to make a booking," said the department's communications head, Octavia Mamabolo.

But when exactly this will happen is anyone's guess. Hopefully before the end of the year, I gather, but Mamabolo didn't commit.

Not good enough. Consumers are fed up, and those desperate enough - many of whom can't work until they have secured a licence - will continue to find short cuts.

Poor service and delivery, coupled with a sense of helplessness, tempt decent people to break the rules.

Ndebele acknowledges this. "Corruption thrives when there is inefficiency and we must remove the necessity to be corrupt," he said, in response to my complaint.

He said public servants needed to treat citizens with respect and dignity, and citizens should hold government officials to account.

"Efficient and friendly service is nonexistent at many of our centres and this must change. The public deserve efficient, polite service ... someone's entire day should not be spoilt simply because a licensing official was arrogant and rude," he said.

The ministry was "closely monitoring" testing stations, he said, to see how they were managing and controlling testing according to relevant legislation.

So what do consumers do in the interim? I suggest they do their homework and shop around for a testing station that commits to providing alternative test dates.

Avoid those that don't, and complain loudly about them to the national Department of Transport, on 0123093763.

If Ndebele is really genuine in his efforts to deliver the level of service taxpayers are entitled to by law - and there are enough of us asserting our rights - the department will be forced to get a move on with its promised "turnaround" sooner rather than later.

Or so we hope. But either way, anything's better than resorting to a bribe.

Sunday smile

At the Medicines Control Council's move to regulate the multibillion-rand complementary medicine industry. If new draft regulations go through, consumers will soon be far better protected against unsafe, poor-quality products which make dubious health claims.

Sunday snarl

At DStv for taking the concept of "repeats" to new levels. It recently screened the same film - Spy Hard - on channels 105 and 107, on the same night, at the same time. Channel-hopping viewer Jim Stockley says the movie aired at 7pm on one channel, and 7.30pm on the other. Seriously DStv, did you really think nobody would notice?