Staff concerns prompt justice department visit to Cape Town Master’s Office

THE Acting Chief Master (ACM) will be visiting the Cape Town Master’s office in the coming week to personally consult with staff and assess the work environment.

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DOJ) said they had received 36 formal grievances from employees and were looking into them.

The Public Servants Association (PSA) recently picketed outside the Cape Town Master's office following complaints from employees over a number of grievances, including staff shortages and a “toxic work environment” among others.

“One of the most pressing concerns is a severe staff shortage. The office is significantly understaffed, with vacancies not being filled. This is in stark contrast to other major provinces, yet staff members are expected to meet the same performance standards and workload turn around as if the Office is fully staffed. In addition, the work environment is toxic, with employees facing constant threats of disciplinary action, which contributes to low morale and a high staff turnover.

“Deceased-estate appointment delays are experienced with the backlogs in appointments causing distress to employees and members of the public. Registry clerks are unable to manage incoming correspondence owing to being occupied with public and attorney queries throughout the day, leading to a growing backlog and increased public complaints.

"Assistant Masters are also overburdened and instead of focusing on their core duties, they are now managing complaints, which further reduces productivity. Administrative staff members are being misutilised as Personal Assistants are being diverted from their roles to manage telephones, appointments, mail, statistics, and post capturing. These tasks are beyond their job scope,” the PSA said.

PSA labour relations officer, Crystal Human said currently, the Cape Town office in deceased estates operates with just three assistant masters, eight estate controllers, and four administrative clerks.

“Compare that to Durban, in the same section (they) have eight assistant masters and 16 estate controllers, or Pretoria, which has 10 of each,” she said.   

The department said the staff engagement led by the ACM will help guide a collaborative plan of action to resolve pressing issues and unlock operational efficiencies.

“We see this as an opportunity to listen, learn, and improve. Constructive feedback from staff is essential to creating a responsive and supportive work environment.”

The department said they were continuously working to enhance the Integrated Case Management System (ICMS) to better support staff and streamline services to the public.

“While ongoing upgrades may temporarily impact operations, they form part of our long-term plan to modernise our service delivery and improve turnaround times.”

Cape Times