Locals are unhappy with service at Bethal Licensing Department

More and more complaints of bad service delivery at the local licensing department are streaming in and locals say if personnel do not want to serve paying clients then they need to leave and make way for people who really need and are desperate to work.

For the most, residents say they can understand the challenges of no electricity in Bethal hampering services at the licensing department, however, there is no need for personnel to treat them like “rubbish” as they are at the end of the day paying for a service.

The Ridge Times published an article last week, August 13, issue 33, regarding residents’ concerns over poor service delivery at the department and has since received a comment from Mr Mvulane Nkosi, deputy director – Registration and Licensing for Secunda and Bethal who said: “The office has a procedure in terms of complaints and suggestion.

“I would love to advise that complaints should be put in a complaint box at the office so as to receive proper attention,” said Mr Nkosi.

The Ridge Times had also requested a response on the matter that if the public is unable to renew their driver’s license or vehicle license at the Bethal Licensing Department, where else can they go?

Mr Nkosi was also asked who would be liable for fines when Bethal Licensing Department fails to provide a service and what can these residents do to safeguard themselves.

Mr Nkosi failed to respond to these questions.

As for providing answers on the failure to provide a service due to no electricity and being offline, Mr Nkosi responded: “All these matters have reference to the letter that was addressed to you by the Mr Mzamani Vuma, senior manager, on Friday, July 30.

“It is true that the system sometimes is offline. Some of the reasons that led to the system being offline are theft of telecom cables, load-shedding from the municipality or Eskom and system upgrade at a national level.

“Due to limited budget, the department is not in a position to install backup generators in all licensing centres in the province,” said Mr Vuma.

Ridge Times readers commented on the story on our Facebook page saying that the licensing department say they cannot afford backup generators, yet at the back of the offices there is indeed a generator running.

When the resident had asked about the generator she was told it was not theirs.

Another resident said that surely after two years of electricity interruptions the department should have a running generator.