By Umamah Bakharia

AfriForum has launched a watershed court bid to have driver license card renewals scrapped at the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula last month stated that there were 1.3 million expired driving license cards that have yet to be renewed.

While millions are also struggling to renew licenses that expired during the Covid-19 lockdown period and for which the deadline to renew has passed.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, AfriForum campaign officer Reiner Duvenage says the renewal of drivers license every five years is not feasible.

AfriForum is requesting the court for a legislative order that states that the legislation for the drivers card renewal is vague and a declaratory order to make it illegal for the public to be arrested for driving without a renewed license.

“Our legal team formulated this astonishing legal opinion that there is no sufficient legislation mandating the requirement that licenses card need to be renewed every five years,” says Duvenage.

The lobby group argues that there is no clear indication in the legislation that requires a driver to renew their drivers license card as the law states that the license is valid indefinitely..