Sebokeng licence centre gets another lifeline, at a steep cost to taxpayers

Sebokeng licence centre gets another lifeline, at a steep cost to taxpayers

After nearly a decade of delays, vandalism and spiralling costs, the Sebokeng Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC) is once again under construction, this time with an additional R138 million from the Gauteng government.

For residents in the Vaal, the sound of construction equipment on site is both hopeful and frustrating. Hopeful because the long-promised facility may finally open its doors. Frustrating because the price tag has ballooned far beyond what was ever promised.

From R63 million to over R200 million

When the Sebokeng DLTC was first approved, the projected cost stood at R63 million. Nearly ten years later, more than R80 million has already been spent and the building still hasn’t served a single resident.

Once completed, the total cost is expected to exceed R200 million, making it one of Gauteng’s most expensive examples of stalled infrastructure.

To make matters worse, an additional R10 million was spent on security while the site stood abandoned a move that failed to prevent vandals from stripping fittings and building materials.

A project left to decay

Construction ground to a halt in 2019, leaving the unfinished building exposed. Over the years, the site became overgrown, looted and symbolic of service delivery failure in Sedibeng.

By 2023, reports described rubble, dust and neglect despite tens of millions already sunk into the project. An assessment that year estimated R91 million would be needed to repair and finish the structure. That figure has since climbed.

Work resumes, again

Sedibeng district municipality transport and infrastructure MMC Nkosinathi Ndwandwe confirmed that work resumed last year.

A new contractor was appointed, with the site officially handed over on 17 June 2025. Construction restarted the following day, and the Development Bank of South Africa has been brought in to manage the project on behalf of the Gauteng department of roads and transport.

The new target date for completion is 17 December 2026, although officials previously indicated a broader deadline stretching into early 2027.

At the time work resumed, the facility was only 8% complete.

Why Sebokeng still needs this centre

The DLTC was meant to ease pressure on overcrowded licence centres across the Vaal. For many Sebokeng residents, accessing basic services like learner’s licences, driving tests and vehicle registration still means long commutes and long queues.

In an area with high unemployment and limited transport options, the absence of a local licence centre has real economic consequences.

Political backlash and public anger

Opposition parties have been blunt. The DA in Gauteng labelled the project “a travesty,” pointing to residents forced to travel long distances while millions are wasted on incomplete infrastructure and ineffective security.

On social media, residents have echoed that anger, with many questioning how a public project could deteriorate so badly and why accountability remains elusive.

More than just a building

The Sebokeng DLTC has become more than a construction site. It’s a case study in how delays, poor oversight and budget overruns erode public trust.

As workers return and money flows yet again, the real test will not be whether the building is finished, but whether it finally delivers the services it promised, and whether Gauteng can prove that lessons have been learned from a very expensive mistake.