KZN Transport MEC stands firm on number plate deadline as motorists face impoundment

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport has reiterated that it will not extend the November 30 deadline for motorists to migrate from old town-specific number plates to the new provincial system, as thousands rushed to licensing offices over the weekend to comply.

By Saturday, just under 20 000 motorists had not yet migrated, compared with more than 1.6 million who have already made the switch across the province.

Transport MEC Siboniso Duma warned that motorists who fail to comply face fines, possible vehicle impoundment and even criminal charges for repeat offences.

“Repeated offences could lead to a criminal charge and a court appearance. A vehicle may be seized on the spot, and the owner will have to pay for towing and storage to retrieve it,” said Duma.

He explained that the new numbering system was introduced because the province was running out of unique number combinations and to align KwaZulu-Natal with the national vehicle registration framework.

Motorists have also been urged to notify their insurers of the new registration numbers, as well as their banks if the vehicle is still under finance, fuel card providers and vehicle tracking companies.

“The new number plates have significantly assisted in the fight against vehicle theft and hijacking. Previously, criminals targeted people based on plates that identified where they came from,” Duma said. He added that the system has also helped curb fraud linked to duplicated number plates.

Meanwhile, former Ukhozi FM and Gagasi FM radio presenter Nongcebo McKenzie narrowly avoided arrest after failing to migrate her vehicle to the new number plate system.

McKenzie took to social media yesterday to share her ordeal, warning motorists to urgently comply.

“Brethren, sort out your things with RTI and the Department of Transport. It’s bad, bad, bad in KZN. Things almost went horribly wrong because of the licence disc and number plate. The law is firm. I was shaking and apologising when they pointed me to the Pinetown police station,” she wrote on Facebook.

In a follow-up post, she explained that she had initially gone to the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) offices in Pinetown to renew her licence plate but found them closed.

This morning, she shared a video showing parts of her new number plate, joking, “I woke at the break of dawn. Right now I feel like flagging down any RTI vehicle and saying ‘thewa’ (here you go). And say, ‘Yes! Hello there!’ I came back with a DG number plate... Happy festive, everybody. Sort out your issues with RTI.”

McKenzie now hosts the Nongcebo McKenzie Podcast on YouTube after leaving Ukhozi FM in April last year. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management and Economics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, a bachelor’s degree in Communication Science from Unisa and an MBA from Stellenbosch Business School.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE