Ballito residents are breathing a sigh of relief after the Ballito Licensing Office at Nokukhanya Luthuli House resumed services last Thursday.

The office had been non-functional for nearly two months, a situation KwaDukuza municipality community safety business unit director Moses Faya attributed to staff shortages.

“One staff member was off sick for some time and we had no relieving clerks due to shortages at the Stanger office as well,” said Faya.

He said employees previously stationed at the Ballito office had been redeployed to other duties.

“We have brought in another supervisor to stabilise operations,” he said.

Faya said experienced staff members had been transferred from the Stanger office to take over operations in Ballito and that services were now running smoothly.

“Three posts have also been filled in Stanger. The new staff are currently under coaching and mentorship,” he said.

Faya assured the community that the Ballito Licensing Office would now have relief staff in place going forward.

“Our community has suffered dearly, but we are now back to providing services at the Ballito Licensing Office,” he said.

The repeated and prolonged closure had caused growing frustration among residents, who complained about the lack of planning for staff sickness and being forced to travel to other offices.

Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.

Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.