The CEO of the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), Ranthoko Rakgoale, has been placed on four weeks' leave as the Department of Transport investigates allegations of corruption at the company.
Earlier this month, transport minister Sibusiso Ndebele ordered an investigation into corruption allegations at the RTMC. This followed a damning independent financial audit detailing procurement irregularities and gross financial mismanagement.
Ndebele appointed an independent task team to investigate the allegations of mismanagement and to look at the mandate, leadership, governance, business and finance of the RTMC. He also instructed the company to pay over all monies collected as eNatis transaction fees, following concerns that the money was being squandered.
The Democratic Alliance called for a probe into the RTMC, alleging the CEO is guilty of financial mismanagement after several officials were implicated in the report. The political party also wrote to the office of the Public Protector, requesting a formal investigation into the conduct of the CEO and other senior officials of the RTMC.
The task team is expected to report back to the minister periodically, and the final report is expected in March.
The RTMC, which is tasked with the roll-out and facilitation of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) demerit system, says its major programmes would not be delayed.
The company has piloted the new point demerit system in the Tshwane and Johannesburg Metropolitan areas, and is preparing to implement it nationally later this year.
The Aarto pilot was implemented to test the applicable systems, processes and procedures, and was supposed to be completed in time for national rollout in 2009. The RTMC has now committed to widespread implementation of the system in 2010, saying that all systems will be ready for national deployment.
When the Aarto demerit point system is implemented, the demerits will reflect against the driving licences of infringing motorists on the National Contravention Register, on eNatis. The RTMC also announced it would spend over R300 million on IT and marketing for the new demerit system for motorists.
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