Rental disputes shut post offices

LANDLORDS have disconnected electricity at the post office branches in Richards Bay Central Business District and eSikhaleni owing to rental disputes.

Both branches have reportedly been closed to the public for more than two weeks, leaving many residents in limbo.

‘The SA Post Office (SAPO) would like to apologise to its customers for the inconvenience,’ said KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson for the post office, Nobuhle Njapha.

It is alleged that the post office owes more than R900 000 for rentals, electricity and services at the branches, and that electricity has been cut.

Councillor Henning de Wet said the non-payment comes as no surprise following a High Court judgment which revealed SAPO’s year-to-date loss as at 31 July 2020 was R1,066-billion.

‘Only 55 of the post office’s

1 416 operational branches were profitable,’ said De Wet.

He said while the Post Office branches remain closed, residents in the City of uMhlathuze suffer the difficulty of not having a postal service at their disposal.

‘This has a huge negative impact not only on business but also on the tens of thousands of residents who rely on the post office for their communication and other services offered such as the payments of government grants,’ said De Wet.

While it is not clear when the two offices will be reopened to the public, residents have been encouraged to access services at the Empangeni and Meerensee branches.

The closure has left many residents frustrated, including Siyabonga Mkhonza who has been unable to collect a parcel at the eSikhaleni branch.

‘I had purchased shoes online and the company I had purchased from delivered on time to the post office in eSikhaleni.

‘But I have been trying to collect them for the past three weeks but every time I arrive I am told there is no electricity.

‘It is honestly frustrating that such a huge entity would have these many issues and yet we pay for services,’ said Mkhonza.