Accusations of corruption fly thick and fast. In fact, for many average Batswana, this department is one of the most corrupt in the government. Even those in the government have at one stage or another, acknowledged that the department needs to be turned around. This has been the storyline. Officers were said to be engaged in helping candidates pay their way to quick and pain-free driving licences.
We acknowledge that the DRTS may have had its fair or unfair share of criticism. That is why we want to take this opportunity to recognise recent efforts to change the image and operations of the department. The announcement by DRTS that it will fast-track the backlog of driving licence applicants waiting for tests could not have come at a better time. Most experts warn that corruption thrives in heavy bureaucracy. In other words, if it is nearly impossible to access a service or there is too much red-tape, chances that members of the public are prepared to bribe an official to get their way increase. In countries where the bureaucracy is heavy, the people are much more prepared, to bribe their way to access services. The DRTS problems with corruption seemed to stem from too much red-tape because getting a driving licence is such a torturous process for an ordinary Motswana.
