Byline: Refeloe Letsoisa
02 September 2024
All owners of vehicles and companies who are owing the state vehicle license fees are invited by the Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security, and Liaison to come forward and apply for payment arrangements in order to settle outstanding fees.
Some of the vehicle owners referred to are those whose vehicles were in accidents and were written off, or they are old and no longer used, but they are still registered on the eNatis System. In terms of the law, these vehicle owners are liable for payments until such vehicles are de-registered.
The non-deregistration leads to the accumulation of penalties due to outstanding fees. Members of the public are to de-register their vehicles once they are no longer in use. It is in this context that the Department urges those with outstanding fees to come forward and make arrangements.
This dilemma does not only affect individual vehicle owners, but there are some big companies owing the state millions of Rands.
According to the Transport Regulation Chief Director in the Department, Mr. Sibandiso Nkuna, if the owner is unable to pay a renewal fee, it attracts penalty fees and interests on a monthly basis.
Motorists may end up owing hundreds of thousands of Rands if the outstanding fees are not settled on time.
“If money is owed, it will reflect on the system, and it will not allow the owner of the vehicle to renew their vehicle license of any other vehicle or register a new vehicle.
The system will generate an administrative mark on the system, and it will block the applicant to either apply for or renew a driving license or renew or register another vehicle.
We are aware that some motorists or companies owe a lot of money and won’t be able to pay all of it at once. That is why, as a department, we have come up with a policy to allow motorists to apply for an arrangement to pay the money owed in instalments,” he said.
The Chief Director emphasised the importance of deregistering a vehicle once it is written off or no longer used. He said that owners whose vehicles have been written off must always follow up with their insurance companies to ensure that the vehicle has been removed from their name.
To make an arrangement, owners of vehicles can make an appointment by calling the number 013 766 1542, Monday to Friday, during working hours between 07h45 and 16h15.