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Residents in Dihlabeng encounter significant challenges when wanting to renew their driver’s licenses, making it nearly impossible for residents to do so. Despite Bethlehem being the largest town in the area, the machines used for license renewal are malfunctioning, and residents are unable to obtain printed application forms.

As a result, residents from Bethlehem and Clarens are advised to travel to Paul Roux or Fouriesburg to renew their licenses. However, the situation there is less than ideal, with long queues and frequent load shedding causing inconvenience and delays.

Loadshedding of up to 6 hours of working time is having an adverse effect, resulting in a backlog of renewals while residents' licenses are expiring and cannot be renewed. This situation is unacceptable, and we call on the provincial authorities to urgently address this issue.

Access to efficient and effective license renewal services is fundamental to good governance, and it is essential that residents have this ability. We urge the relevant authorities to take immediate action to repair the faulty machines in Bethlehem and ensure that residents can access license renewal services without significant inconvenience or delay.

It is crucial that steps are taken to improve the efficiency of the licensing process, especially given the current challenges faced by the department. The DA will raise this issue at the provincial level to provide adequate resources to address the backlog and ensure that all residents have access to this essential service.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and keep the public informed of any developments.

Issued by Irene Rugheimer - DA Councillor Dihlabeng Local Municipality