Saturday Citizen reports that the Tshwane metropolitan council says it is “coping with incoming calls” after staff abandoned its call centre two weeks ago because of an allegedly “out-of-control” insect infestation.  

Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo stated:  “So far, we have not experienced an uncontrollable backlog and the situation is under control.  We are currently looking for alternative office space in our operational office.”  The last fumigation was apparently done on 13 February, but employees at the call centre said insects were biting them at work, leaving them with rashes.  They claimed they were given cans of insect killer when they complained about the problem, but the “cans didn’t help.”  Staff then abandoned their posts two weeks ago and haven’t come back.  But Mashigo put it slightly differently:  “Workers report for duties daily and then – depending on the specific situation – are released.”  SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) shop steward Charles Siwela said:  “The message is clear.  We will not go back to work in an infested office.”

• The full original of Reitumetse Mahope’s report on this story appeared on page 8 of Saturday Citizen of 9 March 2019

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page