Front desk officers frustrate customers
09 Jan 2019
Mahalapye East MP, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso, has criticised front desk officers for denying members of the public access to senior officers.
She said some receptionists and secretaries had developed the “know-all mentality” and therefore sent customers back without giving them proper assistance.
Ms Tshireletso, also Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, shared her concerns during a kgotla meeting in Mookane on Tuesday after some residents complained that they were not getting satisfactory service from Mahalapye Sub-land Board.
The legislator said instead of front desk officers referring customers to the relevant officers, they had developed an authoritative behaviour of taking decisions not prescribed in their job descriptions.
“It is unfortunate that receptionists are a serious barrier to timely and quality customer service. They take decisions that are out of their jurisdiction,” Ms Tshireletso said.
She said it was unfortunate that some members of the community did not question such decisions, even though not satisfied and ultimately used the kgotla to air their grievances.
The assistant minister therefore appealed to Mahalapye sub-land board authorities to induct their front desk staff on customer service so that they could be in a position to assist customers accordingly.
On issues relating to delayed land allocation, Ms Tshireletso said government had seen it fit to screen all applications prior to allocating land in order to vet out those who already had residential plots.
In her welcome remarks, Kgosi Isabella Tshipana had appealed to the land authorities to update the Mookane community on status of commercial plots along the Mmamabula road.
Kgosi Tshipana said some residents had applied for those business plots around 2005, but were still in limbo since there was no communication from the land board.
She further added that those who were allocated plots were advised not to carry out any developments.
“Others were long interviewed regarding their applications but never received any verdict,” she said, adding that they were told that the applications would be frozen for only six months, but years had passed without clear answers from the land authority.
Some of the residents indicated that despite receiving rainfall, they would not be able to plough because they did not have ploughing land certificates, which qualified them for ISPAAD.
Mr Ramosaakane Majwebosigo said letters that they were issued by the sub-land board to access ISPAAD were rejected by the department of crop production.
In response, Mahalapye Sub-land Board chairperson, Ms Adelaide Dikgang concurred that there was miscommunication on some of the issues.
Ms Dikgang said 160 commercial plots were applied for between 2003 and 2005 at Mookane, however, applicants were informed that allocation would be frozen for six months.
She advised those who were allocated the commercial plots to bring proof of allocation in order to be issued with leases.
Ms Dikgang further advised all those concerned to contact the sub-land board for an update on their individual cases.
She informed those who had applied for residential plots in 2015 that their applications were still undergoing screening to determine that they did not possess residential plots anywhere in the country.
Ms Dikgang said the land authority delayed attending to transfers and sub divisions of plots due to financial constraints.
She said the letters to the department of crop production were rejected since they did not bear the names of those to be assisted and advised those affected to get proper detailed letters from her office.
She further indicated that applications for land allocated by dikgosi will be considered after thorough screening.
Source : BOPA
Author : Moshe Galeragwe
Location : MOOKANE
Event : kgotla meeting
Date : 09 Jan 2019
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