Good service deserves praise, says local resident
Beverley Ross says Charles Sefala from the Polokwane Traffic Department went out of his way to assist her, adding that he is a credit to the institution.
POLOKWANE – Happy with her service at the Polokwane Traffic Department, Beverley Ross says she believes in giving praise where it is due.
Beverley sadly lost her husband to stage four lung cancer 10 months ago. During the process of sorting out the ownership of assets, she recently joined the queue to have vehicles transferred to her name.
She recalls it being an unpleasant 45 minutes or so in the direct heat, but she finally ended up at the information desk, only to be informed that the green renewal documentation she had was incorrect. It was then when Charles Sefala stepped in to assist.
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“While in the queue, I was instructed to return with the correct papers but I told Charles that those were the only documents I had found in my husband’s briefcase, and there were definitely no others,” she said. Charles then checked her documentation and advised that she had completed the incorrect forms.
“Fortunately, I had my letter of executorship, his death certificate, our marriage certificate and sufficient copies of identity documents. Obviously, I thought that I was well-prepared, but proved once again to be sadly mistaken,” she said. Charles then gave her six new back-to-back forms to complete while she was in the queue, which she laboriously and ultra-carefully filled in while standing by the customer counter.
“I joined the queue once more and handed the forms back to him. To my utter dismay he told me I had again completed them incorrectly. I just put my head down on the counter and said that I couldn’t take it anymore,” she said.
Charles observed and called her through a side door and then accompanied her to an office.
“Charles put all my incorrect paperwork aside, took blank forms and started to complete them for me, one by one. This took quite a while and I only left his office at 16:00. I feel that this gentleman went above and beyond what was expected of him.
“He could merely have handed me the forms with instructions to complete them myself yet again, but he instead opted to help me regardless,” Beverley said.
“I believe that as South Africans, we are quick to voice our dissatisfaction at poor service delivery, and rightly so. I could write a book about my negative service delivery experiences but that’s a story for another day. Since my husband’s passing I have experienced one setback after another.
“I wish to thank Charles for his excellent service and kind assistance. He is a credit to the department and I only wish we had more people like him,” Beverley said.
The Spokesperson for the Polokwane Municipality, Thipa Selala commented on behalf of Charles, and said the municipality appreciates any kind of appraisal from the community as it needs to be recognised.
“The services within the traffic department have not been easy, especially during this time, but we are doing our best under the circumstances, especially because we are not operating with a full staff complement,” he said.
