Post office shut after break-ins, fire
Sassa payments to be made at Thobikula centre
he Queenstown Post Office will remain closed until further notice due to two burglaries and a fire that occurred over the past two weekends.
In the meantime, clients can use the Mlungisi post office.
The cost of the damage caused by the fire which was apparently started during the second burglary, is estimated at about R500,000.
Captain Namhla Mdleleni, spokesperson for the Queenstown police cluster, confirmed that a case of arson and two burglaries cases were under investigation.
Mdleleni said parcels were stolen during both burglaries and that no arrests had been made as yet.
“The police were called to a post office fire over the weekend.
“The estimated damages incurred are about R500,000,” she said.
Mdleleni said the first burglary reportedly took place two weeks ago but was only reported to the police the following Monday.
The second burglary was reported to the
Tpolice on Friday. Joint Business Rescue practitioner, Anoosh Rooplal, said during the second burglary, the post office’s mail and parcel area was damaged as a result of the fire.
According to Rooplal, the post office’s finance section was not damaged in the fire.
“The first incident occurred on October 27 when criminals gained entrance through a window, damaged parcels and stole certain contents,” he said.
Rooplal said the Queenstown facility was now closed, with the Mlunigisi Post Office the closest operational branch.
The Post Office has assured that the closures will not affect Sassa payments.
“The South African Social Security Agency payments that the Post Office branches make as a paying beneficiary for the Post Bank will not be impacted,” Rooplal said.
“The South African Post Office will pay beneficiaries at the Thobikula Indoor Sport Centre and all plans are in place to pay.”
He said security officers had been requested to guard the CBD post office 24/7 to prevent further break-ins.