OR Tambo closes offices for Covid-19 cleaning

OR Tambo district municipality’s main administration block on Nelson Mandela Drive and the adjacent Prosperity building have been closed for coronavirus cleansing.

Municipal spokesperson Zimkhita Macingwane said the municipality closed the Myezo Park offices on Monday after a staff member tested positive for Covid-19.

“All staff working in these two buildings were sent home as a precautionary measure,” she said.

“These offices were already deep cleaned and decontaminated during the first week of level 4 of the lockdown before one third of the employees were called back to work.”

The Myezo Park office building houses most of the senior municipal staff including mayor Thokozile Sokanyile, municipal manager Owen Hlazo and the various department directors.

DispatchLIVE reported on Tuesday that KSD municipality had closed its eNatis building after an employee contracted Covid-19 last week. Several employees at the vehicle testing centre were screened and tested.

Macingwane said despite the latest developments, essential services like water and sanitation would not be affected.

OR Tambo was appointed by cabinet in 2003 to be a water service provider and authority in its five local municipalities, KSD, Nyandeni, Port St Johns, Mhlontlo and Ingquza Hill.

“Operations from other offices will continue during this period,” said Macingwane on Tuesday.

She said the municipality would follow the Covid-19 protocols set out by the national government. These include screening and testing of employees and decontamination of buildings before they reopen for business.

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