LIMPOPO – The Department of Home Affairs has refuted claims that all 43 of its offices in the province had not been sanitised and deep cleaned.
The People’s Servants Association recently raised issues of worker safety when the country moved into level four of the national lockdown and more workers were set to resume work.
PSA Provincial Manager, John Teffo told BONUS the department had failed to sanitise their buildings before workers commenced their duties, contrary to what was prescribed. The Department of Home Affairs decided to do deep cleaning in provinces where the rate of infection is high, leaving out all offices in Limpopo, he claimed.
“The offices had not been deep-cleaned and there are no thermometers to measure workers’ temperatures. They are also not screening people.”Albert Matsaung, Provincial Manager for Home Affairs, however, refuted these allegations, saying the department has heeded the call by national government to deep-clean all their offices.”
After the announcement was made, we followed the procurement procedures to get service providers that would get the work done. This was done over three days. All our offices have since been sanitised in line with the regulations.”Matsuang emphasised that the department was taking the Covid-19 pandemic seriously, and would not compromise the safety of its workers who he said are “the engine of the department”
The department appointed more cleaners to ensure sanitisation happens daily. They have also procured PPE which includes sanitiser, face masks and temperature scanners in every office.”Our staff have been advised to screen everyone who enters the premises, wipe down all surfaces after every client is assisted, and we have tape-marked the floor in 1,5m intervals to observe social distancing.”Home Affairs is now fully functional, with an attendance register to track visitors in the case of an outbreak.
