MBOMBELA – Employees of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) are now setting up offices in the corridors of the provincial disaster management centre (DMC).
The reason for this reallocation is not certain, but according to informed sources, it is because Cogta allegedly failed to pay its rent.
At the beginning of the month, Cogta units were moved to the DMC from their former offices in the Standard Bank Building. Since the building, located just off the R40 towards White River, already houses the disaster management employees, an insufficient number of vacant offices and cubicles were available for these additional workers. Desks are now being set up for these employees in two large corridors.
According to Ms Lefentse Nkosi of the department’s communications section, the arrangement is meant to be long-term. “The DMC has the capacity to accommodate more than 50 people. The network facilities thereof is capable too, and other issues are being prioritised and attended to.”
A source said the presence of the additional people was a hindrance, “but it doesn’t stop us from doing our jobs”.
The DMC is tasked with managing provincial disasters such as the displacement of people due to floods. They stock supplies such as tents, bottled water and blankets for distribution in case of emergencies.
Yet a visit to the storerooms showed that these were filled with more furniture, filing cabinets, paper and obsolete computers than supplies. An employee explained that the large amounts of paper set off the fire warning all the time. “If there is a real fire we won’t know whether it is the paper setting or the alarm.”
Nkosi said everything was in order. “The process of clearing space and partitioning is underway and there is no hindrance operationally.”
During this newspaper’s visit to the premises last week there was no sign of the 50 additional employees. Mr Cyril Chuene of the EFF said he was concerned about the health and safety of people working in the corridors as well as them drawing salaries, while being unable to work since their workstations were not yet ready.
Nkosi said, “Everyone who is supposed to be at work is working as normal, except those who took leave.”
Cogta must pay its rent to the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport, which must then pay the money to the landlord. Public works did not respond to enquiries at the time of going to print.
