We as fellow residents in Estcourt, employed by one of the major companies in town, would like to accentuate the rude and obnoxious behaviour suffered by the resident in your recent article “Frustration simmers at licensing department”. One cannot grumble about service at the licensing department BECAUSE THERE AIN’T ANY!

When you attempt to renew your licence or request information they are uncouth, impertinent, disreputable, higgledy-piggledy, ham-fisted and fail time and time again to furnish accurate information, which ends up wasting your time and money as well as prompting repeat excursions (as your visits ARE LITERALLY an excursion lasting ALL DAY) to their licensing department before you get the job accomplished.

They do NOT send out renewal notices and act like you are a burden and that they are doing you a colossal favour WHEN they are in the “mood” for it. These people fall grievously short in their understanding as to WHO IS PAYING THEIR SALARIES! IT IS THE TAX PAYERS WHOM THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO SERVE ON A DAILY BASIS WHO GAVE THEM THIS JOB!

The people they treat with contempt and derision ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PUTTING FOOD IN THEIR MOUTHS! Come on now! Asking for proof of residence to renew your car licence in Estcourt? Look on the system and see where it is registered!

IN Estcourt, so the person is residing in ESTCOURT. It is time to clean house in there and appoint people who actually UNDERSTAND the concept of CUSTOMER SERVICE and do not have a sense of entitlement with a false sense of supremacy. Someone should CLEARLY and CONCISELY explain to these people they are….wait for it….PUBLIC SERVANTS! Act accordingly and do your job….with a SMILE!

Estcourt Resident

We do not impose laws unto people but circumstance compels the system to amendment some of the acts, which might look radical to individuals because of wrongdoers who always modify their ways in defeating the laws of the country.

Therefore, the main role of the government is to protect its citizens against any harm, it can be internal or foreign. This is carried-out to all governments of the world, more so those who are practising democracy.

Nowadays we are experiencing car thieves in Estcourt and very minimum hijacking, if there is any. However, the licence renewal, supported by proof of residential address, is part of combating such activities. The Proof of Residence was implemented as of November 1, 2015.

This is not about “appointment of people who actually UNDERSTAND the concept of CUSTOMER SERVICE and do not have a sense of entitlement with a false sense of supremacy” as you put it; but Proof of Residence was requested by the Department of Transport for the implementation of Administration Adjudication of Road Traffic Offence – AARTO Act No. 46 of 1998.

It is true that in big cities such as eThekwini, Gauteng etc., one is reminded through SMS or letters and so on. As a concerned citizen of this country, please also take responsibility for the expiry date of your licence as you are the owner and the driver of your vehicle.

To avoid long queues, in other cities, one pays his/her licence at the post office, maybe we will also do that in future. We are still a very small municipality, which is awaiting the merger with iMbabazane and soon all that will be considered and we will be expecting more constructive criticism from you in order to build a better future of our people, as your servants.

Honestly, there are people dodging paying rates and taxes, which some say should be exposed to the Estcourt News and blacklisted.
We cannot do this without public participation. Nevertheless, these are some of the things, which draws the municipality into deep debt, including those who have their cars registered in other provinces whilst being permanent residents of uMtshezi, myself included.

HOW OUR LICENCE DEPARTMENT OPERATES?
At the traffic department; there are two counters available to assist the public – to register or licence your motor vehicles.
There are two other counters available to assist the public with booking’s; renewals of their driver’s licence and PrDP’s.
All the counters have a clerk available, unless one of them has an emergency.
Yes, we do receive complaints, and we do try to resolve them, most of the complaints occurred due to miscommunication.
At this current stage the clerks are in training, once they have completed their training, the services will be much faster.

Essential things to know:
We open at 7.30am and close at 2.30pm. Forms are not handed out after 2pm, depending on the amount of persons in the queue.
At the traffic department the clerks do not take lunch breaks simultaneously, they rotate, that is why at some other instances there will be only one clerk at the counter.
Look around for the signage instructing you where to go.
Don’t just join the queues.
Persons unsure of the right documents must ask the staff before joining the queues, and to ensure that their forms are correctly filled in.
The staff at the back office can assist.
Depending on the transaction required all documents vary, common forms needed: Proof of Residence; Copy of I.D; 2X Identity or I.D Photos (Renewals/Bookings)

At the end your letter you said: “Act accordingly and do your job….with a SMILE!” This is part of interpersonal skills. which is not a subject at tertiary institutions. However, we commit mistakes and are liable to corrections in which I believe that the smile factor is a two way traffic/parallel thing.

We really value your complaint as it is the second one received by the municipality and promise to improve where it is necessary to do so.

Manzolwandle Hadebe
Umtshezi Municipality Acting Municipality Spokesperson