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GOVT FAILS TO BUY E100 DOOR LOCK FOR REGISTRY OFFICE

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MBABANE – It is really crunch time for Eswatini Government.

With the deepening economic crisis, valuable government equipment is at risk of being stolen or vandalised as the Ministry of Works and Public Transport fails to buy an E100 door lock for one of the most important offices which should be highly secured.
The door lock at the office that houses the expensive machines used for the registration of National Identity Cards was broken down to a point that the entire padlock was removed from the door.  As you approach the office, you are confronted with an exterior handle that looks okay, only to discover that from the inside, there are two doorknob holes from the broken lock. A slight touch on the door renders it opened, allowing unhindered access to the office that has the National Identity Cards ID registration kit comprising a computer that has  modern technology software and the digital camera worth about E50 000. This is one of four ID registration equipment in the country. There is also a computer that has software for producing ID cards in the office.
It could not be ascertained what might have caused the door lock to be broken, but a glance at the surroundings points to, among others, weather stripping which might have contributed.

FILING SYSTEM BEGS FOR PITY

As if that is not enough, the filing system at the department’s other offices that house the registration of birth, marriage and death certificates begs for pity. Old dusty files are stashed upon one another inside a dark small office. The documents; some in grey files while others are bundled in elastic bands are stacked up towards the roof of the office. The department keeps important information obtained from the registration of people’s birth, marriage and death certificates. The dilapidated ceiling does not make things better either. In one of the offices, there is no prize for guessing that the ceiling has weathered many rainy days, resulting in leaks. The originally white filament bulbs are now hanging by their thread after being suspended from their position due to the leaks. They could fall onto the floor anytime if they continue to go unattended. It’s the not just the scruffy flooring, but inside one office the tiles are beginning to peel off the floor leaving some unwelcoming patches of holes. The situation is so dire, it would not be far-fetched to suggest that a visit by the health inspectors could result in the facility being closed down for being hazardous to both the public and the government employees deployed in the building.

Minister of Health Sibongile Ndlela-Simelane referred comments to the Principal Secretary Dr Simon Zwane who said they had noted the condition. He said they had even discussed it with the Ministry of Home Affairs. “The concern is that the offices were not built for the purposes of service points, but were merely office spaces to work. The traffic flow of people contributes to the dilapidating condition and we hope that with funds permitting, government would consider constructing a better space that would be suitable for service points,” he said. He said in the meantime, the public should avoid crowding and that hopefully, the service delivery process would be improved to lessen the congestion. Experts have said a door lock, although it might be a solid piece of equipment, but with daily wear and tear, could get faulty. They further advised that in the event the door lock begins to show some faults, it should be fixed as soon as possible. People should also detect the deterioration of their failing door locks latch beforehand.


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