On Thursday, 17 August 2023, the Durban Magistrates’ Court handed down a six-year prison sentence to Xolani Simelane, a former traffic clerk at Abaqulusi Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
Xolani Simelani: KZN traffic clerk sentenced to six years for selling learners’ licences
In a statement, Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo revealed that Simelane was found guilty of engaging in corrupt practices by accepting bribes in exchange for issuing learners’ licences without the required tests.
Between the years 2012 and 2013, Xolani Simelane occupied the position of Administration Clerk at the Abaqulusi Municipality’s traffic department.
As part of his responsibilities, he managed learners’ licence bookings. However, during this period, Simelane took advantage of his position and accepted gratifications from applicants who sought to obtain learners’ licences without undergoing the necessary testing process.
The corruption scheme orchestrated by Simelane involved the acceptance of bribes from applicants, amounting to up to R1 000 each.
In return for these bribes, he issued learners’ licences without requiring the applicants to take the mandated test.
Simelane’s illicit trade came to the attention of law enforcement when a case was reported at the Vryheid police station.
Subsequently, the case was taken up by members of the Hawks from the Durban Serious Commercial Crime Investigation.
Following a thorough investigation, Simelane was arrested and charged with a total of 48 counts of corruption in 2013.
After a series of court appearances spanning several years, Simelane was finally convicted on 23 June 2023. The court found him guilty of engaging in corrupt practices and undermining the integrity of the learners’ licence issuance process.
In the recent sentencing, Xolani Simelane was handed a six-year prison term. Of this sentence, two years were suspended for a period of five years, contingent upon him avoiding a conviction for the same offence during the suspension period.