MEDIA reports that the SA Post Office has shut down 221 branches are not true. That’s the message from Nichola Dewar, acting group CEO of the South African Post Office.
Dewar said the number represented temporary and not permanent closures as a result of unpaid rentals during the recent and well-publicised financially challenging situation.
Dewar said only 34 branches were permanently closed during 2015/16 financial year. Of that number, 22 were forced closures due to non-payment, while 12 branches were closed based on the planned network optimisation exercise.
“The SA Post Office branch network currently comprises 1 520 full-fledged branches and 732 retail postal agencies, and therefore the SA Post Office has retained its unrivalled branch footprint across the country. The reported loss for 2016 of R1.13 billion is lower than the forecast loss of R1.2 billion for the 2016 year reflected in the Corporate Plan. This financial performance was largely a direct result of inadequate funding for an extended period, and is not necessarily a reflection of poor planning by the company,” said Dewar.
She said the SA Post Office remains grateful to the parties that enabled the SA Post Office to obtain the funding required to support the turnaround plan, namely the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services, National Treasury, and especially the banks.
