A heated debate turned violent when staff and management at the Centurion licensing centre apparently assaulted two women trying to renew their licenses.
“I went with my father to the Centurion licensing offices today. One of the managers was verbally and physically assaulting a woman waiting in line,” said a woman, who asked not to be named.
“This came when the centre refused to help the first woman after she was told she would find the necessary forms inside the centre. When she went inside, she was chased away because she did not have the forms she was promised she would find inside. After an extended altercation, she was thrown out of the centre.”
The second woman said some of the other staff in the centre thought she was recording the episode as she had her cellphone in her hand.
“One of the testing officials tried to force me to hand over my phone. I refused, and in the altercation with her, she scratched me in my face.”
The woman claimed that security guards tried to force her outside, but she fought back. A manager grabbed her from behind, dragging her outside, she said.
Other staff were shouting that she had stolen a cellphone. The woman said she left and laid a charge of assault at the Lyttelton police station.
“We are not leaving this here. This is unacceptable,” she said.
Tshwane metro police spokesperson Isaac Mahamba said the matter would be investigated.
The centre was also in the news in earlier in the year.
On 5 January, management refused to open the centre because it had not been cleaned during the two-week Christmas break.
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