Rat fur, urine, droppings on DPP files in Palapye �office hell�
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Friday April 8, 2016 15:48
According to the report, the Central District Council’s Environmental Health Department conducted an occupational health inspection of the premises in September 2014 and uncovered alarming conditions at the offices.
The inspection was done after complaints by employees.
“It is reported that some ceiling boards were missing, which allowed dust, rat fur and fibre glass dust to spill on the floors and on people in offices, rats droppings, urine, fur on table tops, cabinets and chairs and unpleasant odour in almost all the offices.
“The rats also damaged office stationery, law books and case files resulting in files being placed on tables rather than in rat-infested cabinets.
“The inspection further revealed that the air conditioners could not be used as they blew out rats droppings and fur while there were also no doors to male toilets and their hand wash bins were dysfunctional,” the Auditor General reported.
The Department of Building and Engineering Services also carried out an inspection of the premises and noted the same effects, which they observed had negatively impacted on the comfort of the building.
According to the Auditor General, Pulane Letebele, the council’s health inspectors had subsequently recommended that all employees undergo medical examinations to ascertain if their health had been compromised.
“I am not in a position to say whether the officers followed up on the recommendation and the result thereof,” said Letebele.
“In my view, all the circumstances of this unsatisfactory state of affairs was attributable to lack of maintenance by the landlord, which was condoned by the tenant over a period of time, who failed to invoke the terms of the lease agreement.”
According to the Auditor General, the DPP, through the Department of Lands, had leased the offices in 2009 with a renewal after every two years. The DPP continued to use the offices despite complaints from employees about their bad state.
Eventually, DPP officers were forced to vacate the premises prematurely and seek temporary shelter at the Palapye Police Station pending a move to new office accommodation.