SA government building abandoned because of faulty lights and no working toilets
The Durban headquarters of the Department of Labour was forced to close late last month because the building was deemed a ‘health hazard’.
The Sunday Tribune had recently reported that the building on Margaret Mncadi Avenue, Durban central lacked drinking water, working toilets, dodgy lighting and air-conditioning.
The Tribune reported that the building was in need of ‘major renovations and upgrades’. It said that on several occasions raw sewage leaked from the building due to faulty plumbing, while leaking pipes caused damage to ceilings and electronic equipment.
The Department announced in a statement late last month that the building on Masonic Grove in Durban central had been closed ‘indefinitely’.
“This follows a prohibition notice being served on the property by an Occupational Health and Safety Specialist after an inspection revealed unsafe and unhealthy conditions.
“The prohibition notice may be revoked or amended once an inspector is satisfied the building is safe and healthy for both staff and clients,” the department said.
The Department of Public Works said it put an emergency plan in place to attend to all the building defects that resulted in the temporary closure of the office.
Meanwhile, department contingency plans to ensure service delivery continues included the deployment of staff from the Durban Labour Centre to Pinetown, Verulam and Prospecton labour centres, as well as satellite offices in Phoenix and Chatsworth.
“The public is encouraged to use the aforementioned labour centres and satellite offices until further notice. The department apologises to all those affected,” it said.
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