Province instructs municipality to keep licencing department closed
The municipal licencing department was ready to open early Monday morning, with large numbers of residents queuing at the department from 05:00 this morning, just to be turned away by security personnel.
Municipal Manager, Mr Bheki Khenisa, says that the municipality was instructed by the provincial government to remain closed until a thorough inspection can be done by the department to ensure the municipality has the necessary Covid-19 precautions in place.
Licencing is a provincial competency and therefore the municipality must adhere to the instruction to remain closed for now.
“We have communicated our readiness to open to the province but have been instructed to remain closed until an inspection has been done,” Mr Khenisa told www.mobserver.co.za.
The province has not notified the municipality as to when the inspection will be conducted.
Mr Khenisa says that complaints should thus be forwarded to the Mpumalanga Provincial Government as the municipality is only following order.
“We are ready to open and will do so when the province allows us, we apologize for any inconvenience.”
