Vosloorus Post Office rental issues remain unresolved
Landlord Johnny Luiz gave the Post Office until March 7 to contact him with a resolution for their non-payment of six months rent.
The financial challenges that are said to be caused by the Covid-19 pandemic at the Vosloorus Post office at Gold Spot Shopping Centre are a ticking time bomb that may lead to the suspension of services again.
This follows the post office being unable to pay for their rental obligations that date back to September 2020.
The centre’s landlord, Johnny Luiz, said they are giving the Post Office until March 7 to contact them with some form of resolution before they cut the electricity supply.
Luiz initially gave the Post Office until February 15 to settle its outstanding rentals.
“The account is now six months in arrears and bear in mind that we have not charged any interest on the overdue account. We have tried to contact the finance department but calls and emails go unanswered,” said Luiz.
Furthermore, the lease agreement between the two parties expires at the end of March 2021.
According to Luiz, the Post Office wants to renew its lease agreements but it seems unlikely since rent and utilities are not being paid.
Vosloorus residents are not happy with the idea of having their nearby Post Office out of service or relocated. Vosloorus Extension Two resident Sipho Mthembu questioned the reason the mayor is not intervening, stating that this facility is used by people in the community.
“Where are people going to receive their grant money if this facility closes? They can’t expect people to go to town to collect their money, people don’t even have enough money to travel, they are depending on this nearby Post Office,” said Mthembu.
Joyce Radebe said she uses the Post Office to send and receive books, letters and certificates. She said the post office is a walking distance and she does not require a taxi.
“Where will I get money to travel to other Post Offices? This place has to be fully operational because a lot of people depend on it for various things,” said Radebe.
Johan Kruger of Post Office SA said they plan to renew the lease of the Vosloorus Post Office since it brings an essential service to the community.
“We are negotiating with the landlord regarding payment arrangements. The Post Office has also applied for Covid-19 relief funding because of the effect that the lockdown period has had on the revenue of the entity,” said Kruger.
Kruger told the Mail that there are no other branches in the area with similar issues.
