Durban – The Department of Labour’s offices in Durban have been closed down after the building in central Durban was declared unsafe and unhealthy.
Makhosonke Buthelezi, speaking from Pretoria, said he was aware that the building in Masonic Grove in Durban had suffered repeated burst pipes, including sewrage leaks.
He said that a prohibition notice was served on the building by an occupational and health safety inspector.
Buthelezi said it was not clear when the building would reopen, but that its opening would depend on when the Department of Public Works addressed the problems.
“The Department of Labour is implementing a contingency plan to ensure service delivery continues. This includes deploying staff from the Durban Labour Centre to Pinetown, Verulam and Prospecton labour centres, as well as satellite offices in Phoenix and Chatsworth,” he said.
The building in central Durban offers many services including the payment of unemployment benefits and workmen’s compensation.
Buthelezi said the department apologised for the inconvenience caused by the closure of the building.
African News Agency