Here is the rewritten content in a provocative and controversial manner:
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has been forced to order an investigation into the latest corruption scandal to rock the Department of Transport, as the tender process for the new smart driving licence project has been marred by allegations of favouritism and irregularities.
It has emerged that French firm IDEMIA Identity and Security SA, which has a history of controversial deals, has been selected as the preferred bidder for the project, despite a previous contract with the Airports Company South Africa being terminated due to “irregularities”.
The Department of Transport has been accused of ignoring warnings and bypassing local companies in favour of the French firm, which has a questionable track record when it comes to implementing biometric and facial recognition technologies.
The new smart driving licence project is being touted as a major improvement over the current system, with features such as biometric data, holograms, and watermarks aimed at reducing counterfeiting. However, critics argue that the project is little more than a money-making scheme for IDEMIA, and that the real beneficiaries will be the corrupt officials and insiders who have been lining their pockets for years.
The Auditor-General has been called in to investigate the tender process and the selection of IDEMIA as the preferred bidder, but many are sceptical that the probe will be effective in uncovering the truth.
The new smart driving licence project is a textbook example of how government tenders can be rigged and manipulated to benefit corrupt companies and individuals. It’s a clear case of “crony capitalism” and a slap in the face to the South African taxpayers who are footing the bill.
The fact that the Department of Transport is attempting to spin this as a “major improvement” in the driving licence system is laughable. The reality is that this project is a waste of taxpayers’ money and a recipe for disaster.
The government must take immediate action to correct this situation and ensure that the tender process is transparent and fair. Anything less is a betrayal of the public trust and a guarantee that corruption will continue to thrive in South Africa.
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