By Quinton Mtyala

About 56 000 more drivers are to receive bad news in the post from the transport department - that the Scorpions are convinced their licences are fake, and soon they are to face the music.

About 600 of them, and six transport department officials, have already been convicted and fined up to R9 000, with some sentenced to five years' jail. In addition, 42 licence testing station employees have been dismissed and 57 disciplined.

They were uncovered in an audit by the Scorpions, roped in by the department in February 2005 to combat corruption at licence testing stations.

Spokesperson for the department Collen Msibi said 2 792 fraudulent licences had already been cancelled nationally.

"We are in the process of cancelling the remaining licences. On Wednesday we sent out 14 000 notices to people informing them that their licences were invalid," said Msibi.

He said the department had committed R20-million annually until 2011 to root out fraud and to "streamline system processes to prevent a repetition of corruption in the issuing of driver's licences".

Msibi said those with fraudulent licences would have to start again from the "the bottom up" to become legal on the road.

"The booking system through eNaTIS has cut out a lot of corruption because it has meant that buddies could not get their friends (earlier) dates.

"What it also meant was that there was no way that people could manipulate the system. Now if you go to a testing station, you won't know who your examiner will be," said Msibi.

He said part of the department's focus would be on the conversion of licences from neighbouring countries, another area of widespread fraud.

"In some instances you would find drivers coming with these licences from neighbouring countries who have never been to those countries," said Msibi.

Peter Beets, provincial director of traffic management, said there were over 2 000 suspected fraudulent licences.