EMERGENCY repair work is currently being undertaken on the 19-storey municipal-owned building at 75 Dr Langalibalele Dube (Winder) Street. The building, which was found unfit for staff and the public to use by the Department of Labour, comprises office space and two levels of parking.
“All issues raised by the Department of Labour have been lodged and progress is being tracked daily, with some issues already having been resolved. The Department of Architecture is working on an on-going basis with all relevant parties. As a result, the Department of Labour has taken the decision to issue supplementary prohibition notices that will enable them to revoke and uplift prohibition notices per item that has been completed,” said a municipal representative.
The three areas of concern that remain to be resolved are the lifts, structural damage on pillars and the air conditioning.
An independent contractor has been appointed to access the functionality of the lifts, and the replacement of the lifts will be done in a phased process to ensure minimal disruption to staff. Regarding structural damage on pillars, the original time frame has been extended due to increased work that has been detected, however work is expected to be completed by 31 March or by 7 April at the latest. In order to hasten the process of fixing the air conditioning, the use of Section 36 will be explored based on fair value and fair pricing due to this being an emergency. In order to ensure that staff are not interrupted or disturbed, the work will be undertaken after hours and over the weekend. Work is expected to be completed by 24 March.
The municipality said all of the 351 staff members from the building are being accommodated in alternative existing municipal premises to avoid the unnecessary cost of procuring accommodation at a non-council building. In addition, council-owned accommodation has been found without splitting the teams to ensure proper supervision and operational efficiency.
“To ensure accessibility to the public and minimal disruption to services, members of the public can still submit objections forms or business licence renewals on the ground floor at 75 Dr Langalibalele Dube Street. The Department of Labour has given partial clearance for some staff to work on the ground floor in the interim and staff will be available to handle any queries,” said the municipality.
It is expected that it will take three weeks until the supplementary prohibition notices are lifted, and staff are expected to return to work at the building by 7 April.
Do you want to receive news alerts via WhatsApp? Send us a WhatsApp message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535.
You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
