AfriForum Seeks Transparency in New Smart Driver’s Licence Production

South African civil rights organization AfriForum is demanding clear-cut answers from the Department of Transport as it expresses concerns over the shadowy award of a nearly R900 million contract to a French multinational’s local unit, IDEMIA Identity and Security South Africa. AfriForum has made use of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), submitting two applications, to pry open the details of this enigmatic contracting process.

This exigent scrutiny spawns from the Department of Transport's decision to anoint IDEMIA as the preferred choice for manufacturing the new smart card driver’s licences. The deal, reportedly worth R898 million, positions IDEMIA at the center of a lucrative overhaul of South Africa's driver licence system. The catch, according to AfriForum, lies in the covert nature in which this decision appeared to have been made, eclipsing the facts and figures related to other bidders who were also in the race.

Reinforced by apprehension and seeking more than just broad strokes, AfriForum's requested disclosure targets precise details of the bidding process. Amongst the particulars, the organization seeks enlightenment on the bid amounts of IDEMIA’s competitors, the evaluation criteria that tipped the scales in favor of IDEMIA, the financial implications of both inspecting a licence card printer in France – where the multinational is headquarter – and servicing the present equipment with input from German technicians.

Further stoking doubts is IDEMIA’s checkered track record; the company is currently under investigation following an embargo on its contract with the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) due to irregularities. Stirring further discord, the company also hit a snag in its business overseas as a contract with the Congolese government was recently suspended owing to extortionate pricing concerns.

The frequent deferments of the tender process, coupled with unnerving silence on the department's part, amplify AfriForum's suspicions. Louis Boshoff, the Campaign Officer at AfriForum, articulated the rights of road users and taxpayers to full disclosure. He stressed the critical need for transparency within the realms of the Department of Transport, as South Africans grapple with prolonged service delays, particularly in the renewal and issuing of licence cards.

To create a bulwark against any opacity and to brace for action, AfriForum’s legal muscle has been alerted to dissect every shred of information released through the PAIA enquiry.

As South Africa navigates the intricate world of public tender processes, the situation beckons for a revelation of truth that encourages confidence and trust in the systems that keep its civil mechanisms turning.