Services at the Mbombela Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC) have been disrupted by unionised workers since Monday.

Moeti Mmusi, spokesperson for the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison (DCSSL), condemned the protest, saying it is hindering service delivery to the public.

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“The closure of facilities by workers and their unions is uncalled for, because the people who are supposed to receive services are the ones being affected. We have individuals who have booked to renew their driver’s licences, write their learner’s tests or be examined for licences – but they can’t, because workers have decided to close the doors of the facility,” he said.

Mmusi added that if workers have grievances, they should take them up with the department and allow the public to access the services the centres were created to provide.

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“By disrupting services at our centres, they are also crippling the economy, since some vehicles can’t operate without the permits we issue. We already have a backlog, and this is making it worse. People spend money to come to these facilities, and some have already booked and paid for appointments – only to be turned away because employees closed our doors,” he said.

He acknowledged that some employees are unhappy with certain issues and said the department is addressing their concerns.

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He emphasised that the department has an open-door policy to resolve misunderstandings without interrupting services to the public.

Mmusi declined to disclose details of the employees’ grievances. Efforts to get comment from the protesting workers were unsuccessful at the time of publication.