Durban - Angry citizens at the Department of Labour in the Durban CBD stoned staff cars after they were turned away from its offices.
The department barred the public from the offices for two days, blaming a pungent smell from flooding toilets in the building in Dullah Omar Road (Masonic Grove).
The cars, which were stoned on Monday, were parked in the department's grounds, according to a member of the public.
However police said no case had been opened.
The department's KwaZulu-Natal spokesman, Lungelo Mkamba, said the toilet pipe burst on Sunday and when staff arrived for work on Monday, the seventh floor was flooded, with damage caused to some floors below.
Irate citizens told the Daily News they had been referred to other branches, while others were able to access the building. Lawrence Majiza, 53, said he had been applying for his Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) money since last week.
"Last week we were turned away because the system was down, and on Monday we could not get served because the toilet had flooded the entire building. We told them we are not here to use the toilets, but we came to the offices. Still we were chased away," he said.
Majiza said fed-up UIF claimants on Monday threw stones at staff cars. He said he was tired of continually travelling to the offices at some expense only to be turned away.
Sindi Cele, 55, of Inanda said: "I'm very angry because I think they are just lazy to work. They always have excuses, they don't want to work. If they chase me away again... I will just go to the Verulam branch."
Mkamba said the matter had been reported to the Department of Public Works. He said repairs were under way and they hoped work would be completed by the end of Wednesday.
"We apologise to our clients and the public for any inconvenience they may have experienced during the process of rectifying the situation...
"Despite the situation, all our clients, including members of the public are being serviced," Mkamba said.