CCA Manager targets service delivery
Newly appointed Customer Care Area Manager, Stephen Notwha is making it his mission to address service delivery issues in Alberton.
ALBERTON – With call centre issues, long grass and sewerage, to mention a few, the newly appointed Customer Care Area Manager, Stephen Notwha, said they are trying their best to solve council-related complaints.
Notwha explained that the call centre should be the community’s first contact when experiencing problems with water, electricity or any council-related matters.
“The call centre operates from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 16:30 and will respond as soon as possible. The operators take the complaints from community members and give them a reference number.
“The reference numbers are automated and linked to the departments dealing with the matters at hand. Once that is done response is given,” said Notwha.
He also explained that any reported emergency situations should be dealt with within five hours. If the situation is not as big an emergency, the situation should be dealt with in no longer than 48 hours.
All reported matters should receive feedback within seven days of reporting the complaint. If council-related issues are not seen to by the days and times mentioned, and community members are not succeeding with the call centre, the CCA manager office number is 011 999 2489/2463.
Further concerns which were raised were rubble, refuse removal days, potholes and sewerage.
“We do realise that illegal dumping is a challenge, but we are trying our best to manage the situation. One problem we face with littering was at the Alberton dam.
“In future people who are caught littering will be fined. We are trying to keep the matter under control and we are attending to the matter with numerous departments,” said Notwha.
With regard to the refuse removal, Notwha explained that a yearly schedule, which will remain the same throughout the entire year, was distributed to members of the public; however, “As a result of the post office strike, many residents did not receive their schedules.
“We experienced teething problems, but we do not turn a blind eye to problems and are on top of the situation,” continued Notwha.
He went on to tell the RECORD that it is very difficult to maintain potholes as a result of the heavy and almost constant rains over the past few weeks, “If we fill a hole today, tomorrow or over the weekend it is back. We have fixed holes in busy streets and the Roads Department is attending to the matter as best they can.”
Notwha made it clear that all council-related matters should be reported. Although Notwha has had many issues pertaining to sewerage, he says he has had a few problems but has dealt with it swiftly, as messages of thanks almost fill his inbox.
“We have employees who are on standby, and depending on how quick the situation can be fixed, we respond immediately. We try to be effective in everything we do.”
Another concern which was raised was long grass in vacant lands and grass on servitudes. He explained that many times the property does not belong to council and should therefore be maintained by its owners, such as Rand Water.
Notwha could proudly confirm that there is hardly a backlog on complaints and that he, along with his team, prides themselves on service delivery and community service.
Ja, this is a bit of a joke. We’ve had a mains water leak on our pavement for about a month now. We reported it via the normal call centre line. About a week later, a guy from the council came out, informed us that the leak was not on the mains but on the water meter, said that’s not his department, and told us he would send someone else. The next day, another guy came, looked, and concluded that the leak was not on the water meter but on the mains. That was not his department, so he promised to send the first guy back.
Five days later, we called the number in the article above. That was last Monday. They called us back with a reference number, and still nothing has been done.
The water was pooling up against our wall and running into the gate motor, causing power trips. We’ve just eventually dug a trench on the pavement to redirect the water into the street.
We called back last Monday (14 April) and they sent someone same day. They dug up the entire pavement around the water leak, then left, and the water has just been filling the hole and puddling back into the street ever since. Will call them again this morning to follow up.
Came to work this morning and it seems that someone was here yesterday (public holiday) because the water is no longer running openly in the street. The hole that was dug was not filled, but perhaps they want to ensure that the leak is permanently fixed first.