eNatis struggle may drag on

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) is ready to take over running the electronic national administration traffic information system (eNatis) from Tasima, but the company has approached the Supreme Court of Appeal in a last-ditch attempt to wrest back control of the system.

By Khulekani Magubane

8 May 2017

The company is appealing against a recent ruling ordering it to hand over management of the system and the RTMC expects the process to play out for at least the next three years.

In April, the High Court in Pretoria reaffirmed a Constitutional Court ruling that controlof eNatis be brought back to the RTMC.

Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi hailed the judgment as a victory but has since experienced difficulty in getting Tasima to cede management of the system and vacate office.

RTMC CEO Makhosini Msibi told MPs last week that Tasima had lodged an appeal at the Supreme Court of Appeal, but said this would not stop the corporation from assuming management of the system, as per the court ruling.

"We don't have obstacles in the eNatis system. We do have challenges with the service provider, which is Tasima," said Msibi.

"They took over but the court has seen the service providers in this particular case to be habitual litigators."

He said Tasima had a right to legal recourse, but the company's litigation was aimed at frustrating reassuming management of eNatis by saddling the corporation with legal fees so it could not effectively manage the information system.

"Tasima petitioned the Supreme Court to appeal that the system has to be restored to them until a remedy has been developed," Msibi said.

"They are also seeking that we take on the entire system and staff who they appointed. That matter is before the Labour Court and they will be keeping us busy.

"It could take us more than three years."

Msibi said one of the proposals the corporation had for revenue generation was to improve the access to and quality of road traffic information through the acquisition of eNatis.

ANC MP Mtikeni Sibande said it was imperative that the corporation provide clarity on eNatis and point out any obstacles concerning the RTMC assuming its management.

DA MP Christian Hunsinger said he was encouraged to hear that the RTMC was up to the task of managing eNatis, despite Tasima's contention that the past two court rulings on the matter were unlawful.

Source: Business Day

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