KARIEGA – The Democratic Alliance (DA) has welcomed an oversight visit by the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, to the dilapidated Uitenhage Post Office in Kariega.

The visit followed a letter from Retief Odendaal, DA mayoral candidate for Nelson Mandela Bay, to the minister’s office last week.

The post office, situated in Caledon Street, is intended to serve more than 200 000 residents but has been unable to do so effectively.

No electricity, no water — staff left in the dark

During Monday’s oversight inspection, 19 October, it emerged that the premises has been without electricity for more than two years and has no running water.

According to Odendaal, the few remaining staff members can barely offer any services, relying on their own cellphone data, airtime and phone torches to assist customers. The building has also been affected by ongoing cable theft and extensive vandalism.

“The prolonged lack of electricity has severely compromised the post office’s ability to provide services to the public,” said Odendaal. “The particular concern is the information brought to my attention that staff members have been forced to rely on the torch functions of their mobile phones to assist customers under these extremely difficult circumstances.”

He continued, “This situation raised serious concerns about the working conditions of staff members, the safety and security of the premises and the quality of service being provided to residents.”

No funding to fix the damage

He added, “I have been informed that the necessary funding to repair the damage and restore electricity to the building is currently unavailable. This is deeply concerning, as the continued failure to address the matter leaves both staff and members of the public inconvenienced and disadvantaged.”

Odendaal called on Minister Malatsi to “urgently intervene and ensure that the necessary steps are taken to restore electricity and return the Uitenhage Post Office to full operational capacity.”

He said further, “Urgent action is required to ensure that the affected staff members can work under acceptable conditions and that the residents of Kariega receive the services to which they are entitled.”

Commitment amid business rescue

The South African Post Office (SAPO) remains under business rescue — a formal legal process that protects a financially distressed company from creditors while a turnaround plan is developed.

Despite this, Minister Malatsi has committed to exploring ways to improve conditions at the Uitenhage Post Office, having driven significant reforms and interventions to address the challenges facing the struggling SAPO.

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