The safety of road users is further threatened as South Africa becomes a dumping ground for unsafe and stolen vehicles, Business against Crime South Africa said on Wednesday.
More worrying is the fact that the number of illegally imported vehicles appears to be increasing, it said.
”It is a well-known fact that numerous motor vehicles, used and stolen, are illegally imported into South Africa,” said Business against Crime project manager Fouche Burgers.
”The importation of used vehicles into South Africa is only allowed in exceptional cases; for example, to immigrants with permanent residence and residents returning to South Africa,” he said in a media statement.
Although the importation of used vehicles is prohibited under the International Trade Administration Act, the majority of the country’s neighbours rely on passage through South Africa for their imports, including second-hand vehicles.
A large number of these ”in-transit” vehicles do not reach their destination. Instead, they are illegally registered and sold to unsuspecting South African buyers, Burgers said.
During 2004, more than 72 000 used motor vehicles, destined for neighbouring countries, were imported through the Durban port’s car terminal.
”This represents a dramatic increase compared to 2000, when only 9 200 vehicles were imported,” he said.
Many of these vehicles are unsafe and have false roadworthy certificates. The illegally imported vehicle is typically from Japan, where it is deregistered, sold at auction and shipped to South Africa.
Burgers said Southern Africa is being used as the dumping area for stolen cars from across the globe. The region is a soft target, especially since European authorities have carried out measures to curb the problem in their own countries.
He said many of the illegally imported and stolen vehicles are not necessarily old and unsafe. Often they are expensive luxury vehicles and trucks.
Burgers said that should an unsuspecting buyer’s vehicle be seized, there is no legal recourse. An illegally imported vehicle can be seized by the South African Revenue Service, the International Trade Administration Commission or the police.
”These vehicles are not allowed to stay in South Africa, even if the buyer was unaware that he or she had bought an illegally imported vehicle, and is willing to pay all the necessary duties.”
These cars are mostly destroyed by the government or exported. Vehicles confiscated and identified by the police as being stolen are returned to their rightful owners.
He said used vehicles must be bought from reputable dealers. It is also easier to hold these dealers liable if the car is found to be stolen or illegally imported. — Sapa