Judgment due in eNatis case
The protracted legal battle between the electronic national traffic system (eNatis) developer Tasima and the Department of Transport could finally come to an end with the Constitutional Court due to hand down judgment on the matter on Tuesday.
The protracted legal battle between the electronic national traffic system (eNatis) developer Tasima and the Department of Transport could finally come to an end with the Constitutional Court due to hand down judgment on the matter on Tuesday.
Tasima, owned by Fannie Mahlangu and Zuko Vabaza, was awarded a crucial contract by the transport department in 2001 to implement and run eNatis from 2002.
The system allows the department to manage the licensing of all vehicles in the country‚ learner driving licences, driving licences and roadworthiness tests.
It also ensures that stolen vehicle details are communicated countrywide and prevents the fraudulent re-registration of stolen vehicles.
The contract was for five years effective from June 1 2002, after which the system would be transferred to the department.
On the eve of the expiry of the agreement, Tasima requested the agreement be extended for five years. The department declined. Tasima continued to provide services to the department in accordance with the expired agreement on a monthto-month basis.
In May 2010 the contract was extended for five years by the then director-general of the department, despite warnings from the CEO of the Road Traffic Management Corporation that the extension was in breach of section 217 of the Constitution and section 38 of the Public Finance Management Act.
Since then Tasima has been in and out of court, and close to 20 court judgments and appeals have been made in the case.
The case almost cost the political career of former transport minister Sbu Ndebele.
Ndebele, who in October 2017 resigned from his last position as high commissioner to Australia, returned home to fight charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering in the Commercial Crime Court in Pretoria.
Charges were dropped after alleged political interference.
Ndebele and his co-accused, former director-general of transport George Mahlalela, Zakhele Thwala, Tebogo Mphuthi and Justin Ncube, were accused of arranging kickbacks in exchange for the five-year contract extension for the management of the eNatis system.