Building plans hampered by printing delays
A broken printing machine in the City of Joburg’s building control department has put a halt on new building construction and renovations.
Developers and estate agents have been unable to get building plans approved or get hard copies of building plans, which are needed to start construction.
An employee at a town planning company operating in Joburg, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of victimisation, said his company had experienced delays and could not proceed with its work due to its inability to attain the necessary paperwork.
“It is having an impact on starting developments and causing backlogs because people are unable to get the plans they needed to proceed with the construction.”
He added that delays in accessing the necessary copies could result in additional building costs to people, depending on how long the development was delayed.
Adding to the backlogs was the limited availability of the employee responsible for approving plans, who was required to appear in court as a witness in a fraud case involving members of her department.
City council’s spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane conceded that the machine had experienced numerous breakdowns but denied that it had not been functional for five months.
“It should be emphasised here that this is not an ordinary photocopier but rather a machine that converts microfiche images into hard copies. The said machine is nearing the end of its useful life and the City is already in the process of procuring a new one.”
“Admittedly, given the age of the machine, we have had frequent breakdowns and in all instances, technicians are called out for repairs.”
Referring to the employee who was testifying in court, Modingoane said interventions were put in place to manage volumes during her absence.
Modingoane apologised for the inconvenience caused to the public, adding that the city council was continually working to improve its operations and remained committed to quality service delivery.
