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NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL: Parole officers in the Johannesburg CBD have been working from the pavement for the past three weeks after their offices were locked due to unpaid rent. PHOTO: BUSISIWE MBATHA

 There is a case of a former prisoner who has threatened to kill his family, but we can't record the incident because his files are locked inside 

JOHANNESBURG parole officers are locked out of their office and forced to work on the pavement after the Correctional Services Department allegedly failed to pay rent for five years.

The department owes the National Union of Mineworkers Properties (Numprop) R1.3-million in rent for the use of the union's buildings in Frederick Street in the CBD, according to the union's attorney.

The department also owes a further R700,000 in rent for two additional floors that, it is claimed, it occupied illegally in the same building.

Numprop is the property arm of NUM.

Now the parole officers have been reduced to a single desk "open-air office" with no chairs for the past three weeks.

All their files, including records of parolees, are locked inside.

Embarrassed parolees, up to 200 a day, are forced to register in full view of the public - something that should be done privately, one of the parole officers said.

The 110 officers at this office have since been dispatched to work from prison.

"This is embarrassing not only for the parolees but for us as well. Members of the public even mistake our desk for the SA Revenue Services," one officer said.

They said the locked records could result in some ex-convicts, who had violated their parole conditions, going unpunished.

"There is already a case of a former prisoner who has threatened to kill his family, but we can't record the incident because his files are locked inside," said another officer.

Tsiamo Vilakazi, the attorney for Numprop, said the matter has been referred to the high court in an attempt to force the department to pay.

Vilakazi said in 2007 the union entered into a lease agreement with the department of public works (DPW) on behalf of correctional services. At the time, the monthly rental for the two floors was R11146 and has since risen to R16 319.

"We've had numerous meetings with public works and the state attorney but they still fail to pay. In July this year we got a court order to terminate our services if they didn't pay by August 2. They failed again," said Vilakazi.

Gauteng Correctional Services spokesman Ofentse Morwane said the lockout began on August 3.

"DPW is the agency that procures offices for all state departments and it was the case with that building. The contract was signed between the landlord and DPW on our behalf for three floors. The regional commissioner is attending to the matter and we are hopeful it shall be resolved before the end of next week (this week)."

DPW spokesman Thami Mchunu promised to comment today. - sifilel@sowetan.co.za

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Fri May 24 10:16:36 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 27, 2012

Tsatsatsa

Only in South Africa.....this is not acceptable!

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Aug 27, 2012

Traveljunie

The sheer brilliance and efficiency of our goverment on show.

And there were no colluding to get goverment to rent some union's buildings?
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Aug 27, 2012

SOLUTIONS

Hahahhahahahhahahahahah, I am holding my stomach laughing, or should I be crying?

well done again to the government for an outstanding example. We do not expect any less from you.
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Aug 27, 2012

Eraser

LOOOOL shoooocked
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Aug 27, 2012

Pointman

I admire those officers for continuing to work. I wonder what kind of excuse the department will come up with - invoice not received? tender was illegal?


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Aug 27, 2012

Sugaar

Is true NUM does'nt represent workers their doing business.
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Aug 27, 2012

DJ-Winner

ha ha ha ha ha...what a humour to start a week with. Good one @Sowetan....

@Sowetan...what happened to Mr.Big?
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Aug 27, 2012

Siya5297

big up to the DCS officials who continued working but shame on the Dept. Management
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Aug 27, 2012

MSG_S

When they say, we the Africans are not well admin- equiped to gorven our own countries, I really become angry sometimes. But as the time goes on, I do realize that what they say is actually spot on. SA is just on the wrong path walked by all African countries. just imagine these fat ugly cabinet ministers failing to run a straightforward potfollio like prisons.
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Aug 27, 2012

Papage

Why is the Government not using its own buildings, do we have to rent from unions? poor state of affairs
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