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The DA urgently calls on the Portfolio Committee on Transport to seek a detailed explanation from Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) regarding its recent termination of the R115 million contract with IDEMIA Identity and Security South Africa. This issue is particularly pressing because IDEMIA has been selected as the preferred bidder by the Department of Transport for producing new "smart driving license cards" at an inflated cost of R898 million—nearly double the initial R486 million budget.

The termination of IDEMIA's contract with ACSA, coupled with its problematic history—including delays in delivering a biometric system for the Department of Home Affairs—raises serious concerns. Given these issues, the DA calls on the Minister of Transport to immediately suspend any agreements with IDEMIA until ACSA provides a comprehensive explanation for its contract termination and addresses transparency concerns raised by OUTA and the AA.

We support the AA’s demand for clarity regarding the role of the Government Printing Works in this project and question why it was not considered. Additionally, we will submit parliamentary questions to understand why other bidders were not selected and to ascertain the value of their bids.

The DA is committed to ensuring full transparency and accountability to protect public funds and ensure that the Department of Transport's tender processes are conducted with integrity.

Issued by Dr Chris Hunsinger MP - DA Spokesperson on Transport