Back to business for the Department of Labour

WHEN a fire broke out at the Department of Labour’s offices in Landdrost Street at the end of May this year, it made rendering of services from the premises impossible. But now, after operating for a number of days per week at the Vryheid Library Hall, the Department is back in action in its repaired offices, rendering all but a complete service.

The fire destroyed large parts of the front of the building, while smoke and heat damage affected to various degrees the rest of it. Now repairs have been completed and it was recently handed back to the Department, which officially moved back on October 1. The Department is no longer operating at the Library Hall.

According to Nhlanhla X Khumalo, Assistant Director: Communication, at the Department of Labour, “The office is not fully functional though since we still do not have telephone lines and computers, but we do provide DOL services as per our mandate, so we are open from Monday to Friday. In the meantime we open at 8:00am and close at 3:00pm, instead of 7:30am to 4:00pm, and this will be the case up until the office is fully functional.

“As the Department of Labour, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the AbaQulisi Municipality, especially the Director of Community Services, Ms Mnikathi, for her support and for accommodating us during this difficult time.

“One would also like to thank the public for being patient with us and also for understanding, and also apologise to all those that might have been negatively affected since we could not offer all the Department of Labour Services during this whole period.

“Lastly I would like to thank Paul from the Natal Plumbers, the contractor that was given work to repair and renovate the office, for their outstanding professional work.”