POLOKWANE – Unemployment is a huge problem in the province yet the municipality cannot appoint people to answer their phones when consumers call to complain or make enquiries.
This is the opinion of annoyed and frustrated residents who wished to stay anonymous in case of victimisation. “We didn’t have water for three days and I called the municipality at (015) 290 2931, but there was no answer. So I tried the call centre at (015) 290 2000. I was kept on hold for almost 45 minutes.
I later called the call centre choosing the emergency option, but that didn’t help either because I was kept on hold for about 20 minutes. If it was a real emergency the person would have died waiting,” one resident said.
Review investigated these complaints by calling both numbers and after numerous attempts can confirm that residents’ frustrations are justified.
When calling the call centre number, Review was placed on hold indefinitely several times and the municipal number previously mentioned is not answered or there is a busy tone.
Municipal spokesperson, Matshidiso Mothapo said following the damage to one of the city’s major waterpipes, the municipality received a high volume of calls with residents enquiring about the water situation.
“Unfortunately some lines will just ring when the operator is busy on the line and sometimes give a busy signal or an automated voice,” Mothapo said.
