The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport says it is working urgently to restore water and electricity at several licensing and testing centres across the Greater Durban area, after disconnections linked to outstanding property rates.
Department spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya warned that the outages could disrupt key services, including the registration and conversion of new number plates, the issuing and renewal of learner’s and driver’s licences, PRDP renewals, and card collections.
The affected sites include the Rossburgh and Umdloti licensing centres, as well as the department’s regional office in Pinetown.
The disruption comes as motorists face a Sunday deadline to switch from old number plates to those ending in “ZN”, adding further pressure to already strained services.
Sibiya stressed that the department consistently pays its water and electricity bills, noting that responsibility for property rates lies with the Public Works Infrastructure unit, which manages payments on behalf of the department as a tenant. He added that the RTI Pinetown Licensing and Testing Centre is currently operating with the help of a generator to ensure continuity of services.