Six thousand drivers' licences are being cancelled by the North West department of transport, roads and community safety, the SABC reported on Thursday.

An annual audit revealed discrepancies that lead to investigations as to how these licences were obtained.

Said provincial MEC Phenye Vilakazi: "We were worried and this is why we have begun to institute a system that we are jointly implementing with Business against Crime, where we are tightening the screws on these procedures and we have been able to implement [this] in various... municipalities."

He said people who obtained licences fraudulently endangered other road users. The department issued between 30 000 and 40 000 licences annually.

Sapa