Home Affairs staff turn people away

Source: Ntando Makhubu – Pretoria News, 20/08/2015

Pretoria - Staff at Home Affairs offices in Centurion are being taken
to task for compromising services, after they turned people away an
hour and a half before official closing time last Saturday.


Customers were told to leave after 11am, because staff would not be
able to attend to them as they wanted to knock off on time.


"Security personnel told us to go and closed the gate in our faces,"
said Ela Moepa. She was one of a number of people who were in a queue
outside the department`s premises: "We had been in the scorching heat
knowing we would be attended to by 12.30pm," she said.


"They admitted that staff was generally unhappy about having to work
on Saturday, and so they dragged their feet and served as few people
as possible in protest."



The department on Wednesday said it had taken note of the reports on
services being compromised by staff at the Centurion offices.


"The department is taking disciplinary measures against those
officials who acted outside legal processes by engaging in acts of
sabotage against the new operational hours," spokesman Mayihlome
Tshwete said. He said when the new times came into effect mid March,
they were meant to enhance and provide best services to
clients.

People were encouraged to access services between
8.30am and 12.30pm on Saturdays and between 8am and 4pm during the
week.


Threats of a strike in protest over the extended hours were thwarted
by director-general Mkhuseli Apleni, who said staff were obliged to
work 40 hours a week as per labour regulations.


According to Tshwete, the manager on duty was allowed to make an
assessment on the number which could be assisted if the queues were
too long, to ensure they closed at a reasonable time. "Inevitably,
those clients who would be inside the premises would be
prioritised."


Last weekend`s incident comes in the wake of a litany of problems
experienced at the Centurion offices, including customers being turned
away hours before closing time, the request for bribes in return for
the fast-tracking of services, and people being made to queue outside,
on the pavement.


Pictures of the queues, of people with small children and the elderly
waiting in the sun, cold and even rain have been posted on social
media, with people questioning the decision not to allow them to wait
in the large parking area inside.


On Facebook, Bianca Jongbloed wrote: "Ridiculous to make paying
citizens stand outside in the heat with cars speeding by while there
is amble (sic) space inside under the trees. Disappointed."


In a Twitter post Simphiwe Sombili posted a picture of a guard telling
them they were closed for business at 10.30am, while others reported
being turned away at about 3pm.
Pretoria News