Licensing offices fail to deliver service

HIGHVELD – Residents have experienced numerous problems at the Secunda and Bethal licensing offices.

In Bethal, the personnel at the licensing office refused to help residents from Secunda on Tuesday, 13 March, because they do not reside in Bethal.

A Secunda resident who wants to stay anonymous, said the personnel were very arrogant with him and eventually unplugged the computer because they did not want to help him.

This resident went to the licensing office on Friday, 9 March and waited in the queue for four hours, but was told they were offline when it was his turn to be helped.

He returned on Tuesday and were told he must go for his license in Secunda.

His wife contacted the municipality and asked to speak to a manager, but after she was transferred to four different people who were not able to help her, she hung up.

The man eventually managed to speak to a supervisor at the Bethal licensing office and she got another employee to help him.

However they then wanted to fail his eye test, but he provided papers from an optometrist in Secunda to proof that he had already done the test in Secunda and passed, but then the personnel requested a stamp on the optometrist’s letter.

The man had to return to Secunda, get the stamp and return to Bethal.

He finally walked out of Bethal licensing office with a temporary license by 4pm.

“The personnel in Bethal are rude and when you ask them a question, they ignore you,” he said.

Ms Estelle Swart, DA councillor, contacted a municipal official about the Bethal licensing office. He said the poor service is because personnel are overworked.

“He said if the computers at the surrounding offices such as Secunda and Morgenzon are down, everyone goes to Bethal and then the personnel in Bethal must help everybody,” said Ms Swart.

“He said it is not an excuse for personnel in Bethal to not help residents.”

Ms Swart contacted the regional licensing office in Mbombela. When she eventually managed to speak to someone in a senior position, they said they will have meetings with the regional managers and discuss the problems and give her feedback.

In Secunda things are even worse according to residents.

“You have to stand in a queue the whole day for two to three days in Secunda,” said a resident.

Residents suspect bribery is going on at this office.

“I stood in the queue for the second day and a man who came after me went in through the back door, was in the office for a short while and then walked out with his license,” said a resident.

“My husband asked him how he was helped so quickly and he said he had made arrangements with somebody at the licensing office.”

Secunda licensing office is supposed to open from 7.15am, but last week by 9am personnel still have not come out of the office to inform people when they will open or what was going on.

“I told the manager I spoke to that it does not work like that,” said Ms Swart.

“If they are supposed to open at 7.15am, they must begin working and helping the people at that time.

“The licensing offices in Bethal and Secunda are in a bad state. There is not a proper toilet that people can use and you must go inside to go to the toilet and then the personnel are reluctant to help you.

“The toilet has no seat and is dirty. How can they expect people to stand in queues the whole day without using the bathroom?

The newspaper asked the municipal manager of Govan Mbeki Municipality, Mr Thisha Mhlanga, for comment on Tuesday, 13 March. He responded and said the enquiry will be forwarded to the Provincial Department of Community Safety and Community Liaison as the function is no longer delegated to the municipality.

The newspaper asked the municipality on Friday, 16 March for feedback from the Provincial Department, but the municipality has not responded at time of going to press.