**********.. Waste of money and time

On 30 June 2022 I went to Empangeni Police station where I app**** for my Police clearance Certificate. The staff were very efficient, friendly and helpful. I was advised of the process and to wait for 2 sms's. When the second sms was received to wait 2 to 3 weeks before the Certificate would be sent to the station. I received the second sms on 25/07/2022. I chased up with the Police Station as directed, however the Certificate was not yet there. 3 weeks post the second sms, I was given a number to contact Pretoria ***.

I had contacted Pretoria. The call centre is the most frustrating department to reach.I wasted over R500 in airtime waiting for them to pick up. On the two occasions that I did manage to reach them, they were rude and extremely unhelpful. The first call was made on 05/08/2022. The lady I had the unfortunate experience of speaking to could not provide me with any information other than the Certificate was read on 21/07/2022 & was sent to the post office. She was not able to give me a tracking number or any details as it was not available as yet. On 23/08/2022, I called again. I spoke to W/O Groenewald, who did the certificate was at Empangeni police station. I had advised her that it was not as I had checked. She insisted that it was. She refused to provide me with any tracking number saying it was sent with speed services and that I had to contact the Police Station and get them to contact her.

I then contacted the police station again. I was asked to contact her to get a tracking number and a name of who received the certificate. I was told to come back to the police station for them to try and reach Pretoria as they have difficulty reaching them themselves. I have been trying to reach Pretoria since then. I have run out of airtime trying to reach them I have put in R180 rands a time. Been on hold for over 30 minutes a time.

This is absolutely ridiculous. Those certificates have a validity of 6 months only. That 6 months is from date of generation, not date of delivery. We are paying for them, it's not for free, yet the poor service delivery of them is unacceptable. Its been almost 2 months from application, so I don't understand why there's such a delay, especially considering that the certificate was being handled internally between departments and not being delivered to me at home. My fuel is being wasted having to run to the Police Station. My airtime is also wasted on these calls that are not answered at Pretoria.

Good day Mr Andrew

This office wishes to sincerely apology for the delay and confusion in issuing your police clearance certificate. Please be informed that your certificate has been re-printed and it is ready for collection, you are therefore requested to arrange the courier company for collection.

Could you please the name of the courier company that you will be using in order for us to file the certificate correctly,

Good day Mr Andrew

Thank you once again,

The only reason we were suggesting that you organise a courier was not to put you on financial difficulties but only trying to come up with a quick solution to this problem.

We will send the certificate to the Empangeni SAPS and shall provide you with the tracking number as soon as it become available from Post Office, please bear in mind that it could take a little while before reaching the Police station hence we were suggesting the courier company route.

Good day Mr Andrew

Most courier companies collects the certificate from our offices at the below address:

271 Francis Baard Street ( CNR Thabo Sehume Street)

Bothongo Plaza West Building

1st Floor Room

14 Pretoria CBD

0001

Zultrans will fetch from you before 16h00The courier is at the given address. Staff claim not to know anything about this. Please can you verify. Good day Mr Andrew

The certificate has been at our registry office while we were waiting for confirmation from you and also the name of the courier company. Please ask them to request to see myself when they are here tomorrow.

We really apologise for this misunderstanding.

By the time I went to the front desk they already left the building.

Regards.

H M Moima

Captain

I am now expected to resend a courier company tomorrow??? Really??? Its like they want take extra money by promoting the use of companies that you are expected to pay more for utilisation of their service to get a PCC.