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It’s a ‘nightmare’ – workers and customers struggle amid Post Office failures

It’s a ‘nightmare’ – workers and customers struggle amid Post Office failures
The state of the Vlaeberg post office in November 2022. (Photo: Brent Meersman)
Tariro Washinyira
By Tariro Washinyira
31 Jul 2023
Facebook
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The appointment of business rescue practitioners for the South African Post Office has been ratified.

‘Since Covid-19, things haven’t returned to normal,” a worker at the Gatesville Post Office in Cape Town lamented. “The challenges are beyond our control even though the customers may see it as incompetence… The problems affect both the employees’ and customers’ morale.”

The postal worker, who cannot be named because they could be fired for talking to the press, told GroundUp that staff are overworked because the Gatesville branch has taken over providing services of surrounding post offices that have been closed. Almost 60 Post Offices have closed or are closing on the peninsula.

She gave us a litany of problems at the Gatesville branch.

Mail is only collected once a week, on a Wednesday, according to the worker.

Systems didn’t always come back after rolling blackouts. There had only been one working computer from Monday until Thursday the previous week, when the IT technician finally arrived.

The photocopy machines were not working, which meant customers who wanted Postbank statements were asked to take a photo of their statement on their phone, go elsewhere to get the photo printed, then bring it back to be stamped, said the employee.

Post Office The state of the Vlaeberg post office in November 2022. (Photo: Brent Meersman)



Another employee, at the Parow Post Office, said he has to deal with irate customers every day.

“The problem is that letters now leave only once a week. So, when I explain to the client that the letter won’t be delivered in the space of time they want, they become angry.”

“I used to enjoy doing my work, but not anymore,” he said.

South African Post Office customers have long lamented the dysfunction of the Post Office. Many complaints are about extraordinary long delays in mail delivery, and if people want to officially complain, the call centre only adds to the frustration, we were told. When we called, the phone rang for 10 minutes and then the line dropped.

Yet the Post Office is meant to do far more than deliver letters. It is where people in underserviced areas access communications and government services, such as renewal of motor vehicle registrations and TV licences. It also distributes social grants to millions of people as well as delivers medication. It is also the branch network of Postbank.

Customers’ lament


At the Parow office on Thursday, customer Janet Anderson (65) said she had come all the way from Delf since the Delft post office had been closed that day. Anderson needed a Postbank statement for a hire purchase she was making.

“I wanted a bank statement, but they said they can’t print statements anymore,” she said.

They said they could email it to her, or she could take a picture of the statement, but Anderson’s phone is broken.

At Vlaeberg Post Office we met Patrick Janicke who was collecting mail.

“We used to get letters every two days, but now when you come after two weeks there is no mail in the box. My boss is always complaining that he is not getting his mail on time.”

A messenger from the Master of the High Court said clients who use the Vlaeberg Post Office were complaining they were not getting their post on time.

“I wanted to pay for a TV licence,” said another customer, “but they said because of load shedding they can’t swipe my bank card.”

The branch had no back-up power. Staff could be seen sorting mail using their phone torches.

Another person said they were collecting their mail for the last time at Vlaeberg.

“This post office is a nightmare… I have closed my mailbox,” they said.

In February 2023, the high court placed the Post Office in provisional liquidation.

In July, the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies applied to place the Post Office in business rescue. This was granted and the court appointed Anoosh Rooplal and Juanito Damons as joint interim business rescue practitioners. Their appointment was ratified on Tuesday at a creditors’ meeting.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Business rescue paves way for R6.2bn bailout of SA Post Office — and axing of 7,000 workers

In the opinion of the business rescue practitioners there is a reasonable prospect that the Post Office can be rescued, based on R2.4-billion in funding from Treasury in the medium-term budget, and an additional funding requirement of R3.8-billion for recapitalisation.

A business rescue plan will be published by 30 November 2023. DM

First published by GroundUp.

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