The municipality and their employees are often the target of violent outbursts and angry tirades from frustrated ratepayers.
A Florida Glen resident is looking to give credit where credit is due by praising a City of Johannesburg employee who was vital in correcting an injustice. Dana, a 53-year-old man who wants only his first name to be used, spent several months in hospital after suffering a stroke before the initial state-imposed lockdown. The incident left him partially paralysed and unable to attend to his own domestic responsibilities.
Dana returned home in the latter part of 2020, under round the clock assisted care, to find his electricity disconnected and an exceptionally high bill. Given his physical condition, he was unable to go to the Region B offices in Randburg to solve the problem in person. Dana contacted ward councillor Phillip Kruger, who put him in touch with who would turn out to be his saviour.
Thomas Tshilongo is the Assistant Director of the Region B Customer Services Centre and he immediately began working on rectifying Dana’s situation. “I did my work and found the suitable benefits through which Dana’s situation could be improved. The involvement of the Social Development Department was key to the success of the initiative,” recounted Thomas.
The financial strain on Dana has been alleviated as he continues his rehabilitation. “I can’t thank Thomas enough. He negotiated the payment plan and I can say without him, I would be lost.” Councillor Kruger echoed his sentiments, saying, “Thomas always goes out of his way to assist, he really is one of the stars at his office”.
Thomas has been working for the City for 32 years, mostly in the Revenue Shared Services Centre department. “Interacting with customers is important and without empathy, likelihood is that you will not succeed in most cases,” said Thomas, alluding to his secret. “It is about having empathy and loving the job you do.”
