DEAR Editor,-
Today I am forced to report some gross racial discrimination at the Port Shepstone licensing office.
On January 26, my wife and I were patiently waiting in a queue of about 35 people at the licensing office, after joining the queue at 9.30am. Initially I calculated that the office was capturing and handling one person every 15 minutes.
From 10.45am, only one person per hour was allowed into the capturing office. We noticed that about 20 candidates who qualified for learners’ licences were treated preferentially in the capturing room.
Since we only need to be in this queue every five years, we patiently just kept quiet. Why not wait another two hours? We eventually got to the front of the queue at 12.15pm. One candidate was suffering from asthma and had difficulty breathing, so out of desperation his wife went to the office just to ask if the protocol for a PPD licence does not require a fingerprint from the police station.
Being a medical doctor, I understood his wife’s concern and action – the poor woman, who was concerned about her husband’s health was chased out of the office and into the waiting room and in front of all the people, the staff member used the following words: “You white people are treating us like dogs. Go and wait outside. You are not allowed in this room!”
At this stage my wife was allowed into the office, next to the capturing woman’s table. Just as my wife was about to sit on the chair, this official told her not to sit down but to allow somebody from outside to sit down in front of her computer. Patiently my wife endured this rudeness and waited in the middle of the room – standing.
After 30 minutes (at 12.30pm) I was allowed into the room where the same official ordered that the person behind me in the queue be processed first – before I was attended to? I mentioned this to the official and asked for the supervisor as a mediator. Since I understand Xhosa, I heard her tell the supervisor (in Xhosa) that this white scum does not want to wait in the queue! Ridiculous! What gross racism and violation of human rights. (Umlungu in original Xhosa from 1856 means ‘white scum from the sea’).
After this incident, the same official spitefully and deliberately fingerprinted the wrong finger and sent me to the cashier, who immediately referred me back to re-fingerprint the correct finger and, no surprise, I was then told to get back in the queue at the office! Eventually, after four hours I emerged from the capturing office at 1.30pm. It seems that in this office, deliberate discriminatory racist remarks are used every day!
How long will this licensing office be allowed to continue verbally abusing clients, who will suffer in silence just to keep the peace because they are dependent on the licensing department’s staff members’ ‘goodwill’. Because once every five years, we need to endure this racially motivated abuse. People are forced to suffer all this abuse and deliberate delays because of the ‘power’ the licensing department staff members have.
I think this racism should be brought to the attention of the South African Human Rights Commission.
DR RUDI BUYS
Port Edward
SIMON APRIL RESPONDS:
The Ray Nkonyeni Municipality is totally against any form of discrimination and also subscribes to Batho Pele Principles. These allegations are unfortunate and are taken very seriously, hence we request the complainant to visit our offices and lodge a formal complaint, which will also include identifying the concerned staff member. The complainant can contact the Manager: Motor Licensing Bureau, Stephen Goldsmith on 039 6882253 or contact the HOD: Public Safety, Sibusiso Nzimande on 039 6882250. It is our commitment that, if this can be done, then the matter will be given the attention it deserves.
Having said that, and if the allegations are true, we condemn such an abuse or discrimination and profusely apologise to those who may have been affected by such an abuse or discrimination.
SIMON M APRIL
Senior Manager: Mayoralty and Communications
Ray Nkonyeni Municipality
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