French technology company Idemia Identity and Security’s appointment as the preferred bidder to produce new smart driving licence cards for South Africa has been set aside.
The Gauteng North High Court declared on Tuesday the tender was irregular, invalid, unlawful and unenforceable.
The tender was set aside by the court and the transport department was ordered to readvertise it within 30 days.
Pending the appointment of a successful service provider under the readvertised tender, the department has been allowed by the court to outsource the services of printing and issuing of driving licence cards to the home affairs department.
The court order is based on the department’s court application after an auditor-general investigation found irregularities in the tender process.
Transport minister Barbara Creecy and deputy minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa welcomed the court outcome as a vindication of the department’s commitment to the transparency and legitimacy of tender processes. The decision to approach the court for guidance on the matter was a necessary step for effective regulation, they said.
The choice of Idemia was questioned by the AA and Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, who were concerned by the lack of clarity in the appointment of the preferred bidder.
The AA also questioned why the government printing works had not been considered the sole provider of the service, given it performs government’s security printing function.
The transport department said the backlog in issuing driver cards has been resolved. The printing of cards was delayed after the breakdown of the printing machine from February to May last year.
From May to December 8 2025 the Driving Licence Card Account agency printed 2,239,456 cards.
Creecy said the State Security Agency has approved the prototype driving licence card designed by the government printing works. The establishment of the network connection between the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and the printing works was successfully tested.
“This will allow the transfer of data/files required by the printing works to print driving license cards,” she said.
“A process will soon be undertaken for cabinet approval of the prototype card design.”
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