President Jacob Zuma has stuck to (at least) one of his election promises with the launch of the Presidential Hotline.
As of yesterday (Monday 14 September 2009) the general public are now able to put calls through to this toll free number
1 7 7 3 7
with questions and comments for the President. Zuma will not, of course, be taking the calls himself but has employed a posse of 43 public liaison officers who, based in the Union Buildings, will field the public's orchids and onions.
It is anticipated that the call centre will be in test phase over the first few weeks and South Africans are asked to be patient until the service is running at optimum levels.
A report on the SA Good News website reports that:
"The aims of this public service (are) to encourage an all-round improvement in citizen care and liaison, and to introduce a culture of putting the citizen first in all government departments as well as municipalities".
