Durban - More than 600 employees from four eThekwini Municipality departments have been told to remain at home indefinitely. This after the Labour Department condemned the 75 Dr Langalibalele Street building, resulting in its evacuation last week.
The municipality refused to answer direct questions which sought to get the number of departments and employees affected by the condemnation of the building.
However, a senior employee who requested anonymity, said about 650 employees were told to stay at home after the notice was served by the department’s occupational health and safety unit to vacate the building.
“Real Estate, Business Support, Safer City, Parks and Recreation departments were housed in that building. It’s around 650 employees in all that had to remain at home while the city is handling the situation,” said the employee.
Among the defects identified by the Labour Department in the building were a sewer smell; missing buttons and the condition of emergency sirens in the lifts; poor ventilation; air conditioning not in working order, windows locked; offices hot and humid; water leaks resulting in odours; concern over the quality of potable water; toilet ventilation; condition of toilets and cracks in the building pillars.
The eThekwini Municipality said it had “pro-actively implemented” numerous interventions to address the conditions.
“The city has begun addressing the concerns reported by staff and is in the process of addressing the audit findings raised by the Department of Labour,” the city said.
Dumisani Luthuli, chairperson of the South African Municipal Workers Union, in eThekwini, said they had a meeting with Mayor Zandile Gumede and various department heads last week about the building and the decision to shut it down.
“We differed on a number of things, including them wanting to have our members working there even when the renovations commence.
“We were told that the building’s value was R48 million while a construction company which tabled a quotation, said it would cost R40 million to renovate it.
“There hasn’t been movement in that building since Monday,” Luthuli said.
Attempts for comment from the mayor’s office were unsuccessful by the time of publication.