Blonde has queuers fuming
2003-02-26 21:53
George - Pandemonium broke out at the George traffic department on Tuesday when several hundred people arrived to apply for their card licences but officials informed them that only 100 could be helped.
Many of those in the queue were furious because traffic chief Jan Nel allegedly unlocked the cash register for a slender blonde in a black mini skirt after the counters were already closed.
Nel defended himself, saying he brought several people out of the queue because these people had applied for their licences earlier and were only there to pick up the documents. He denied favouring anyone.
Sharon Linden said, however, that the blonde applicant went to Nel's office several times before he came out to unlock the cash register. "She was a sexy little thing," Linden said.
When she and other angry people confronted Nel, he apparently ignored them. Later he allegedly told another applicant that he already made a mistake once and was not about to repeat it.
Linden said she was especially upset by the preferential treatment since there were elderly people in the queue, including a woman who recently had a knee operation.
Marius Swart, mayor of George, said he was aware of the allegations against Nel and that an investigation would be launched into the matter as soon as a written complaint was received.
Swart said the traffic office could only handle a hundred applications a day because they had only one computer.
Nel said his office staff worked until 22:00 on Tuesday evening to process the late applications and that they would be doing everything in their power to accommodate as many applicants as possible over the next two days.
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