Vehicle fees disappear

OKAKARARA councillors have been raiding the motor vehicles licence fund, taking an unspecified sum of money from it in the form of unauthorised loans, a commission of inquiry heard in Windhoek on Friday.

The village councillors’ illegal borrowing was revealed at the final public hearing of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Activities, Affairs, Management and Operations of the Road Authority and the Road Fund Administration. The last witness at the hearings was Wilfried Brock, the Roads Authority’s divisional manager (transport information and agents).Brock was questioned about Natis, the Namibian Transport Information System, which regulates motor vehicles, issuing licences, and collecting some car-related fees.Police connivance with licensing officers, the undervaluing of imported vehicles, fake receipts, bribery and blackmail by car dealers are among an assortment of malpractices with which Natis managers have to deal.Brock said that at Okakarara “the entire council seems” to have been “borrowing” money from the licensing officer, with a view to repaying it at a later stage.He said the councillors, in borrowing these sums, took advantage of the absence of any bank at the town.Most residents there use a mobile bank twice a month, he said.In between, the councillors took out money paid by road users as private loans.Brock did not say how much money was taken, over what period or how long this illegality had been going on.But he indicated that the licensing officer, whom he did not name, could still be in the Council’s employ.Natis has asked that the officer be removed from working with licence fees.In all the towns and villages, except Windhoek, Natis uses municipal staff and other councils as agents for motor licensing.He said Natis conducted regular agents’ audits to see that the Municipality complied with agency requirements.Audits over the past three years have revealed a plethora of cars.At the three southern towns of Aranos, Maltahohe and Mariental, an unnamed Windhoek car dealer recruited licensing officers to legitimise paperwork associated with clandestinely delivered cars from South Africa by putting them onto the Namibian network.At Karasburg, an officer gave road users fake receipts while pocketing the money.But an officer in Swakopmund took such counterfeiting further by reproducing a replica of the official receipt on his personal computer, Brock said.At Keetmanshoop, a supervisor and two staff colluded by underweighing trucks and cars so that the owners paid a pittance to the road fund, while pocketing the balance.In some places, such as Okahandja, cars without documents proving their origin or even their existence were registered, while at Ongwediva an officer simply stole money by not paying it over to the fund.Brock said Natis took strict measures to ensure that criminality did not creep into vehicle licensing, with many of those found out almost immediately dismissed.Between 2000 and 2003, Natis in Windhoek lost 38 staff, mainly through dismissals and the forced resignation of those who saw the endgame had arrive when their activities were uncovered.But some left for greener pastures, seeing that licensing officers in the Windhoek office were employed without any perks of office, such as housing, transport allowance or pensions.The inquiry, which held its first public session on November 17, has now concluded its information-gathering phase, and is expected to produce its report to the President by the end of April.During nine weeks of hearings, witnesses testified on 55 separate occasions.The last witness at the hearings was Wilfried Brock, the Roads Authority’s divisional manager (transport information and agents). Brock was questioned about Natis, the Namibian Transport Information System, which regulates motor vehicles, issuing licences, and collecting some car-related fees. Police connivance with licensing officers, the undervaluing of imported vehicles, fake receipts, bribery and blackmail by car dealers are among an assortment of malpractices with which Natis managers have to deal. Brock said that at Okakarara “the entire council seems” to have been “borrowing” money from the licensing officer, with a view to repaying it at a later stage. He said the councillors, in borrowing these sums, took advantage of the absence of any bank at the town. Most residents there use a mobile bank twice a month, he said. In between, the councillors took out money paid by road users as private loans. Brock did not say how much money was taken, over what period or how long this illegality had been going on. But he indicated that the licensing officer, whom he did not name, could still be in the Council’s employ. Natis has asked that the officer be removed from working with licence fees. In all the towns and villages, except Windhoek, Natis uses municipal staff and other councils as agents for motor licensing. He said Natis conducted regular agents’ audits to see that the Municipality complied with agency requirements. Audits over the past three years have revealed a plethora of cars. At the three southern towns of Aranos, Maltahohe and Mariental, an unnamed Windhoek car dealer recruited licensing officers to legitimise paperwork associated with clandestinely delivered cars from South Africa by putting them onto the Namibian network. At Karasburg, an officer gave road users fake receipts while pocketing the money. But an officer in Swakopmund took such counterfeiting further by reproducing a replica of the official receipt on his personal computer, Brock said. At Keetmanshoop, a supervisor and two staff colluded by underweighing trucks and cars so that the owners paid a pittance to the road fund, while pocketing the balance. In some places, such as Okahandja, cars without documents proving their origin or even their existence were registered, while at Ongwediva an officer simply stole money by not paying it over to the fund. Brock said Natis took strict measures to ensure that criminality did not creep into vehicle licensing, with many of those found out almost immediately dismissed. Between 2000 and 2003, Natis in Windhoek lost 38 staff, mainly through dismissals and the forced resignation of those who saw the endgame had arrive when their activities were uncovered. But some left for greener pastures, seeing that licensing officers in the Windhoek office were employed without any perks of office, such as housing, transport allowance or pensions. The inquiry, which held its first public session on November 17, has now concluded its information-gathering phase, and is expected to produce its report to the President by the end of April. During nine weeks of hearings, witnesses testified on 55 separate occasions.