MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – For the first time in the 54 years that Mr Kallie Rogers had been conducting business in the region, he received a message that the municipality would not accept a cheque as payment for the registration of a vehicle.

“For my whole life I have paid with cheques. This is totally unacceptable. This means that the messenger first has to stand in a long queue to find out the amount for registering the vehicles and then he has to return to fetch cash. We are speaking of amounts between R5 000 and R7 000 for heavy vehicles. It is unfair to have to carry around those amounts in cash,” Mr Roger said.

Mr Rogers, a local businessman from a consortium that owns about 50 vehicles, uses Soutpansberg Autobody to register the licenses of the vehicles and put the heavy vehicles through the test. On Monday, July 26, Mr Roger was informed that the Department of Community Services of the Makhado Municipality would not accept a cheque but demanded cash.

“They said that they had problems with RD cheques, but now they are punishing the whole community,” Mr Roger said.

A cheque is a payment method accepted by the South African Reserve Bank, the central bank of the country.

The Director: Community Services of the Makhado Municipality, Mr Mavhungo Musitha confirmed on August 2 that a decision was made not to accept cheques. The decision was made at a departmental meeting, approximately three weeks ago. The Department of Community Services experience problems with cheques for registration of vehicles which are being referred to the drawer.

Mr Thomas Ndwammbi, Manager: Community Services said that they do accept cheques from motor dealers and bank guaranteed cheques.

“We are losing a lot of money through RD cheques,” Mr Ndwammbi said.

Mr Musitha supplied documentation to show that in the Department of Community Services, 18 cheques had not been paid out to the Municipality in the period from June 2003 to June 2004. The highest amount during that period was R9853.40, appearing on a cheque dated 18 June, 2003. The highest figure appearing on a RD cheque this year was R4368.40, on a cheque dated 19 March, 2004. In total, the Department of Community Services suffered a loss of R41 717.84 in the aforementioned period. The owners of these cheques had been blacklisted and would not be able to renew their licences without paying the outstanding amounts.

A system to establish a link with the banks to verify cheques is being discussed, “but it may take some time,” Mr Musitha said.

Mr Musitha said that the municipality upholds the Batho Pele principles where clients are treated with the respect they deserve. He advised clients who experience problems at the cashiers, like being turned away because of a cheque, to come to his office.

“These are their offices. This is their home,” Musitha said.

In the meantime, clients have reported that it is not always easy to find the relevant officials in their offices.

“There is a perception that we are only here to help black clients. That is inaccurate. We are here to help everyone,” Mr Musitha said. He agreed that Mr Rogers had reason to be upset and invited the latter to contact him. The phone numbers of the Directors are available to the public.