POLOKWANE – Residents were surprised and angry to find that the municipal traffic and licensing department was closed for business on Thursday morning.
No warning was given of this prior to the day, and no reason was furnished. Security guards had to take the flak from the angry residents and were even shouted and sworn at by some. “We have no answers to give these people, the office personnel did not arrive for work and we were instructed not to allow people inside until the office personnel arrived,” one of the security guards said.
Traffic at the intersection at the department’s entrance came to a standstill at one stage with motorists saying they refused to leave until they were assisted.
“I will stay here and these people had better be prepared to assist me when they get to the office, I am losing a whole day by standing here and I demand that they assist me today,” one of the waiting residents, Jacob Nkoane said.
It was later discovered that the department employees had not come to work as they were attending a memorial service at the Jack Botes Hall, following the death of the city’s municipal traffic manager, Lesiba Barry Makgae. Makgae died in a Gauteng hospital after a short illness.
Residents only received assistance at around 14:00 when employees had returned to their posts.
“The memorial service was set to start at 10:00 but only started at close to 10:30 and many employees said they had problems getting back to the office due to lack of transport,” one woman who works for the department said.
Municipal spokesperson, Malesela Maubane, said procedurally, a skeleton staff should have been on duty.
He said, however, the municipality could not force people to work and not go to the memorial service.
“But we will investigate the matter, as we received many complaints from residents,” he concluded.
