The slumbering DMR awakes - 4 March 2014

‘Hello, Tshepo speaking?’

A marvel! Finally, Tshepo answers the phone at the DG’s office in the Department of Mineral Resources. I was beginning to think the two admin people were a figment of someone’s imagination.

‘Ja, I’m really sorry, ma’am,’ says the groomed and uber-polite voice on the other end of the line, ‘but things have been really hectic here with Parliament opening and everything. And we’re still waiting for the fracking policy to go through, and we have a position on how to deal with the communications side…’

I’m flabbergasted. Not only did he put two and two together (me, from EMG, with the email sent three weeks ago) but he actually remembered the content of the email. Someone actually read it. I’m feeling marginally less cynical about the departments, this one included. Seems the PAs in these offices aren’t just typists.