​Lerato Mailoane
The long wait is finally over. The Gauteng Provincial Government has finally launched a new high-tech, tamper-proof number plate pilot system at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg on Thursday afternoon.
Staying true to Premier Panyaza Lesufi's commitment to fighting crime in the province, this new innovative number plate system is expected to make a significant contribution to curbing criminal activities on Gauteng roads.
Premier Lesufi was joined by MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, to unveil the pilot phase of the project. 
He described the initiative as a pioneering move in the province's evolving fight against criminality.
"We are letting go of the old ways of fighting crime and introducing new ideas in this fight. With the help of CSIR. We are now deploying a digital system that enables us to account for every vehicle on our public roads. Those who are using fraudulent or duplicate number plates will have no space or time to drive on our roads." 
The premier also emphasised that the province has now launched a high-calibre weapon in the fight against criminality and restoring order.
"We are ready to fight fire by fire. We are engaging with law enforcement agencies to look at ways of concentrating efforts on those who are breaking the laws of the province. Through this launch, we are demonstrating that we are going to win this fight; that is how we are going to restore order," 
The new intelligent number plate system represents a leap forward as it is a secure, traceable, and innovative solution, incorporating tamper-evident decals, forensic QR codes, and a fully digitised back-end portal. 
These technological enhancements are designed to combat vehicle theft, fraud, and cloning while improving road safety and empowering traffic law enforcement across the province. 
The pilot phase will involve fitting g-Fleet vehicles affixed with advanced number plates over a six-month stress-testing period before the provincial rollout.
This system is designed to significantly enhance the credibility of number plates and enable license plate tracking throughout the value chain, from manufacturer to end-user (vehicle owner).
It also seeks to address longstanding challenges in the vehicle registration and law enforcement framework, tackling cloned or fraudulent license plates, the lack of interoperability with Southern African Development Community (SADC) systems, and inadequate data traceability.
MEC Diale-Tlabela highlighted that the launch represents a strategic provincial intervention aimed at combating crime effectively and strengthening regulatory compliance. 
She added this was an essential pillar in the broader Provincial Integrated Crime Prevention Strategy.
"By partnering with law enforcement agencies, metro police departments and the private sector, we are enhancing vehicle identification and traceability. 
"These smart number plates will significantly reduce vehicle cloning, trafficking of stolen vehicles, and the use of falsified plates in criminal activities. It is about disrupting criminal networks and improving road safety".