Stamping our feet in frustration

There are a few pillars of democracy that support the countries in which we live (judicial system, Treasury, revenue service, power suppliers, transport enterprises), and SA is failing somewhat in respect of some. However, some things are not pillars; they are the very foundations on which a country stands. The post office is one of them.

The post office has not worked efficiently for more than four or five years, and since Mark Barnes was put in charge it has become worse.

For example:

● The few letters I receive by post are totally out of date (my municipal bill regularly arrives a month late);

● I received an SA National Roads Agency invoice on December 12 that was dated November 2;

● Some of us order products over the internet. This used to work. Now, if I order something from Singapore, for example, it takes up to three days to clear that country. It then disappears into a black hole when it gets to SA. I can track it arriving at OR Tambo; it then goes to customs; from there it goes to a central processing facility in Johannesburg. If I ever get this article, it will have taken up to four months to arrive; and

● Overseas magazines have to be sent by courier as the post office cannot be trusted to deliver. This applies to local magazines as well.

Now the ANC government in its wisdom has given the most incompetent state-owned entity and the most incompetent CEO (Barnes) the responsibility of creating a new bank and being responsible for SA Social Security Agency payments. Barnes has not been able to get the post office to do one basic thing (mail delivery) right.

It’s a hard world out there, and it’s getting worse. SA cannot compete if it has people like this in charge.