Dozens of state employees who work at a government department in the Pietermaritzburg city centre had to flee their building due to a severe rat infestation. Staff at the Department of Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs (Edtea) in Jabu Ndlovu Street were ordered to vacate the building as management feared the growing infestation posed a health risk.
Apart from the risk of disease, staff and visitors to the building had to endure the stench of rat urine, faeces and dead, decomposing rodents that had spread through the building. A memorandum was issued to employees by the department’s chief director of corporate services, instructing managers at the building to “release staff members due to the outbreak of rodents” at 270 Jabu Ndlovu Street.on condition of anonymity, said the stench — which emanates from dead rodents — was intolerabl