Close Menu
TechCentralTechCentral

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    WhatsApp Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    • News

      Solly Malatsi seeks out-of-court deal in TV migration fight

      15 July 2025

      South Africa’s telcos battle to monetise 5G as 4G suffices for most

      15 July 2025

      Major new electric car brand launching in South Africa

      15 July 2025

      MTN empowerment investors see ‘modest’ return as Zakhele Futhi winds up

      15 July 2025

      Eskom wants your solar system registered – but what does that actually mean?

      15 July 2025
    • World

      Grok 4 arrives with bold claims and fresh controversy

      10 July 2025

      Samsung’s bet on folding phones faces major test

      10 July 2025

      Bitcoin pushes higher into record territory

      10 July 2025

      OpenAI to launch web browser in direct challenge to Google Chrome

      10 July 2025

      Cupertino vs Brussels: Apple challenges Big Tech crackdown

      7 July 2025
    • In-depth

      The 1940s visionary who imagined the Information Age

      14 July 2025

      MultiChoice is working on a wholesale overhaul of DStv

      10 July 2025

      Siemens is battling Big Tech for AI supremacy in factories

      24 June 2025

      The algorithm will sing now: why musicians should be worried about AI

      20 June 2025

      Meta bets $72-billion on AI – and investors love it

      17 June 2025
    • TCS

      TCS+ | MVNX on the opportunities in South Africa’s booming MVNO market

      11 July 2025

      TCS | Connecting Saffas – Renier Lombard on The Lekker Network

      7 July 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E4: Takealot’s big Post Office jobs plan

      4 July 2025

      TCS | Tech, townships and tenacity: Spar’s plan to win with Spar2U

      3 July 2025

      TCS+ | First Distribution on the latest and greatest cloud technologies

      27 June 2025
    • Opinion

      A smarter approach to digital transformation in ICT distribution

      15 July 2025

      In defence of equity alternatives for BEE

      30 June 2025

      E-commerce in ICT distribution: enabler or disruptor?

      30 June 2025

      South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

      17 June 2025

      AI and the future of ICT distribution

      16 June 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Altron Group
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • CambriLearn
      • CYBER1 Solutions
      • Digicloud Africa
      • Digimune
      • Domains.co.za
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • Incredible Business
      • iONLINE
      • Iris Network Systems
      • LSD Open
      • NEC XON
      • Network Platforms
      • Next DLP
      • Ovations
      • Paracon
      • Paratus
      • Q-KON
      • SevenC
      • SkyWire
      • Solid8 Technologies
      • Telit Cinterion
      • Tenable
      • Vertiv
      • Videri Digital
      • Wipro
      • Workday
    • Sections
      • AI and machine learning
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud services
      • Contact centres and CX
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Electronics and hardware
      • Energy and sustainability
      • Enterprise software
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
      • Public sector
      • Retail and e-commerce
      • Science
      • SMEs and start-ups
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Events
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home » South Africa » Zuma call centre hotline inundated with calls

    Zuma call centre hotline inundated with calls

    By Editor14 September 2009
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp

    Jacob Zuma

    President Jacob Zuma’s complaints hotline received 7 261 calls between 9am and noon — or 40 calls per minute — on its first day on Monday, his office said.

    “We are experiencing high call volumes and are spending the day sorting out various glitches,” Zuma’s spokesman Vusi Mona, said in a statement.

    “The hotline has received 7261 calls from 9am to noon this morning [Monday]. This equates to about 2420 an hour or 40 calls a minute.”

    The 40 call centre agents had been fielding the calls in all 11 official languages, spending between 15 and 20 minutes on a call. The agents routed the complaints to the public liaison offices in the presidency, national departments and provinces, said Mona.

    He said the call centre, with the toll-free number 17737, would spend the next few weeks ironing out teething problems, “with a view to having a fully functional service by the end of the month”.

    Zuma took two calls himself on Monday morning. “President Zuma took a call from a distressed citizen from Mount Frere in the Eastern Cape who complained about ill-treatment that she had received at her local Magistrate’s Court. The caller’s husband passed away in 2006 and she has been trying to access his pension and has experienced problems.

    “President Zuma also took a call from a gentleman from Ekurhuleni North, Benoni who highlighted his disappointment that his area has been experiencing sewerage leakages for months on end without the municipality resolving the matter.”

    Zuma handed the information to call centre agents who were tasked with following it up to get a “speedy resolution”.

    The president addressed the call centre staff on Monday morning, saying the response to the announcement of a hotline had been “overwhelming”.

    “We want people to be able to tell us what their problems are with service delivery, so that we can assist directly.

    “This means that you have a challenging job. You may receive calls from very angry people, who would have been provoked by your colleagues from other departments,” Zuma told them.

    “Remain calm, patient and be humane and human. You will solve a lot of problems if you remain human and avoid being technical.”

    He said once the system started working efficiently, the volume of calls would go down as the government “should by then be more responsive, departments will have learnt the importance of responding quickly”.

    “If a person calls about an unpaid pension, do not say, ‘I do not work for social development’. They will say there is no water, there is no electricity, and be ready to deal with all of that efficiently and professionally,” said Zuma.

    Sapa received an engaged tone when it tried to call the hotline several times between noon and 2pm.  — Sapa

    • Picture credit: World Economic Forum


    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleEOH booming, in spite of recession
    Next Article Chumby: contender for world’s weirdest gadget

    Related Posts

    Solly Malatsi seeks out-of-court deal in TV migration fight

    15 July 2025

    South Africa’s telcos battle to monetise 5G as 4G suffices for most

    15 July 2025

    Major new electric car brand launching in South Africa

    15 July 2025
    Company News

    Mental wellness at scale: how Mac fuels October Health’s mission

    15 July 2025

    Banking on LEO: Q-KON transforms financial services connectivity

    14 July 2025

    The future of business calling: Voys brings your landline to the cloud

    14 July 2025
    Opinion

    A smarter approach to digital transformation in ICT distribution

    15 July 2025

    In defence of equity alternatives for BEE

    30 June 2025

    E-commerce in ICT distribution: enabler or disruptor?

    30 June 2025

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2025 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.