The Makhado Municipality promised to conduct an investigation after a respected member of the community was allegedly threatened to be thrown out of the civic centre on June 3.

The incident happened when Mr Paul Herman (65) arrived early in the morning to apply for the renewal of his driver’s license. He waited inside the building, sitting on the chairs, together with his wife and two other people. According to the municipality, people may wait inside, depending on the weather conditions.

Herman wrote a statement of the whole incident. At about 07:40, a security guard told him to leave the building. He explained that he had come early to be helped quickly, following the instruction of an official at the relevant department. The previous day, when the queues were too long, the official advised him to come at 07:00, which he did.

The security guard returned with another official in a managerial position, who told Herman to leave the building. He replied that he had permission to be there.

“The official talked in another language to the guard and then said in English something like ‘You will get money for this’, after which the official left. The security guard stormed towards me and I realized that he wanted to throw me out. I told him not to touch me,” Herman said. At that, stage they were standing near the front doors on the inside.

Herman later said that he had never before been subjected to such humiliating treatment.

On June 8, Mr Louis Bobodi, PRO of the municipality, told Herman in the presence of the Zoutpansberger that it was the policy of the municipality to treat people with dignity.

“But some people are born wicked and have another mentality and do not follow the Batho Pele principles. Those who do not act according to the mandate of the government should be dealt with harshly,” Bobodi said. He was requested to find the names of the official and guard who were involved.

More than two months later, after many enquiries, the outcome of the investigation was given, but no names were supplied.

“We have researched the matter and what we got is that nobody tried or even threatened to throw him out of the building. Our officials, including the security guards, are saying the argument started when he did not want to go out of the building when they requested him not to smoke,” read Bobodi’s statement.

Herman this week categorically stated that he never smoked or tried to smoke in the building.

“These are blatant lies. After all these months, this is an absurd report to come up with,” a notably upset Herman said.