The department says it shut the offices out of safety concerns in August after sporadic service delivery protests
People in Mamelodi trying to claim their Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) money or to report work-related problems to the Department of Employment and Labour have been left frustrated. This after the department closed its office in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria, due to safety concerns.
Spokesperson for the department Teboho Thejane told GroundUp that the office closed on 6 August because of "sporadic service delivery protests targeted towards the Tshwane municipality".
The offices are in a building inside gated premises which also house offices of the City of Tshwane. There are two security guards at the entrance to the precinct.
"The security risk assessment report suggested that it was not safe for the department to operate from the said building and as such, alternative office accommodation must be sourced," said Thejane. "The staff of Mamelodi labour centre were then requested to report at the Pretoria labour centre ... Clients from Mamelodi are currently serviced at the Pretoria labour centre."
GroundUp notes that the municipal offices of Tshwane, the "target" of the protests, were open and functioning.
A sign pasted on the labour office window says the offices are closed indefinitely. It advises people to use the online service.
But, says Mamelodi resident Mozi Mtashe, UIF's online system has not been operational. She has been struggling to get her money for months. She was retrenched by a clothing store in February. (The UIF system has come back online in the last couple of weeks.)
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Mtashe travelled twice to the Pretoria labour office, costing her R110 each time. "The queue was very long. Workers inside the offices turned me away and said I must come back and bring other required documents. This means I must spend another R110 to travel to town even though I am not sure that my application will be successfully processed."
We spoke to several residents who complained about the same issues.
Jabulani Nkuna lost his job in July when the company he worked for closed down. He has since been struggling to get UIF.
"I did not go to the Pretoria [CBD] because I don't have money for transport. I want to apply for UIF money here in Mamelodi, so that I can use it to buy food for my family and look for another job."
Thejane acknowledged that the department's online application system had challenges, but said they have since been resolved.
