IN A BOLD move to prevent robbers from getting their hands on any of the R2.3 billion collected annually from licensing offices in the province, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport and Human Settlements has launched a cashless payment system.

This decision was prompted by with a spike in cash-in-transit (CIT) heists in KZN, the latest in broad daylight incidents occurred in Pietermaritzburg on Friday, and on KwaMashu's Duffs Road, in peak-hour traffic, on Monday.

Several onlookers captured the dramatic Duffs Road scenes on their phones.

Yesterday (Wednesday), police shot dead five suspected cash-in-transit robbers during a gun battle with police in Bonela, near Chesterville.

The suspects were believed to be linked to several cash-in-transit heists, including the recent Duffs Road.

Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi also visited the "bloody scene".

As a defence mechanism, MEC Duma unveiled, what he called a "historic transition" to a cashless system across the province’s motor licensing offices.

“We’re taking this step to protect our finances and ensure that every cent goes toward essential public services,” Duma said. “As of April 1, we have officially switched to cashless payments at all licensing offices.”

Duma encouraged the public to embrace the digital shift and use their debit and credit cards when paying at motor licensing offices.

“This move towards digital payments will help fund vital government programs, like health, education, social development, and infrastructure, directly benefiting citizens,” he added.

Duma confirmed that his department generated R2.3 billion from licensing fees in the 2024/2025 financial year.

Between October and December 2024, South Africa saw a total of 29 CIT heists, with KZN leading the pack, accounting for 10 of them. Gauteng came in second with eight heists.

Police commissioner Mkhwanazi, who had long called for a cashless society, called this transition a crucial step in curbing the growing wave of robberies. “If businesses start embracing cashless transactions, it would drastically reduce the risk of these crimes,” Mkhwanazi said during a meeting with local business leaders in uMhlanga, north of Durban.

He pointed out that most robberies were well-planned and not random occurrences. “CIT vehicles aren’t targeted when empty. Criminals wait for them to carry a significant amount of cash. The key to these crimes is inside information, which allows criminals to target specific vehicles," he said.

Mkhwanazi’s message was clear: reducing cash transactions and pushing for cashless payments could lower the spate of these heists.

“For business, the engagement we’re having is that they must start reducing the amount of cash they handle, so people must use their cards to pay. If people are using cards or cellphones to pay, it makes life much easier for us.”

Meanwhile, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu praised law enforcement for their swift action in rounding up suspects linked to a recent series of heists along Elias Motshoaledi Road near Dobsonville in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

A statement from the SAPS described a coordinated operation that resulted in the interception of the CIT robbers.

Two suspects were fatally shot in a gunfight, while five others were arrested. The police recovered an R5 rifle, two pistols, and a hijacked Mercedes-Benz C200.

Mchunu commended the police for their decisive action. "By eliminating these criminals, we have prevented further harm and removed dangerous firearms from our communities," he said.

He added: “The fatal wounding of six suspects means we are now six fewer active criminals who were waiting to commit murder and robbery, furthermore, the seizing of a total of seven firearms means the removal of those firearms from our communities.”

Crime expert and author Mary De Haas was not convinced by the introduction of the cashless system, saying the only way to curb cash-in-transit heists was through efficient intelligence.

“For me, the way to stop these cash-in-transit heists is through better intelligence. You can’t stop moving cash just in case it’s stolen. Cash-in-transit heists will happen if there is no proper intelligence.”

She added: “Research done points to the fact that lots of problems start with security companies delivering the cash.

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MEC Duma introduces cashless payments to combat rising cash-in-transit heists