The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is making an urgent appeal to the Communications Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, to re-open post offices in the Hantam and Karoo-Hoogland municipalities, at least on a rotational basis.
On a recent oversight inspection to Loeriesfontein post office, I found the security gates locked and a notice on the door directing residents to the Niewoudtville post office. This adds up to an additional 65 kilometres to travel to simply post a letter. It also sets residents back by R400 in additional transport fees, which nullifies the R350 grant that they are desperate to receive to be able to put food on the table. This is if the Niewoudtville post office, which shuts down completely during loadshedding, is indeed itself open.
The post office in Calvinia meanwhile, has no suitable vehicles to transport post out of town while the post office in Sutherland has been under lock and key since the end of January. The post office in Fraserburg is closed more than it is open.
Community members rely on the post office for the payment of grants and the renewal of their motor vehicle licenses, as well as the delivery of goods, including essential items, like medicines. A number of residents have even incurred fines as a result of the delayed receipt of letters, due to ineffective postal services.
While residents in bigger towns and cities have the luxury of making use of private courier services, not all towns have access to such services, nor do all residents have the means to utilise them.
The situation is unacceptable and it is having a detrimental impact on the local community.
The DA is calling for post office services to, at the very least, provide services on a rotational basis or for some kind of mobile service to be initiated.
People’s very survival is at risk because they do not have access to services offered by a functioning post office. Ntshavheni must bring an end to this injustice.