Durban post office employees accused of forcing public to pay bribes
There have been reports of an alleged extortion syndicate operating at a Durban post office.
EMPLOYEES at a Durban post office have been accused of forcing grant beneficiaries to pay a ‘bribe’ before they are served by staff.
According to reports, this fee is for the recipient to receive preferential treatment by jumping a queue, and anyone who refuses to pay this fee is refused service at the post office.
Recipients stated that this was the work of a syndicate operating in the city to extort money.
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It is reported that money would be split with taxi drivers who are working with the post office workers.
In response to queries by Berea Mail regarding these allegations, Nobuhle Njapha from the communication division at the SA Post Office said the Post Office’s Security and Investigation teams are investigating the case.
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“We can only issue a statement once we get the report from them. The evidence points to a scheme devised by members of the public, and in such instances the post office encourages customers to lay a charge of bribery and extortion at the nearest police station,” she said.
She said statements that the public make at police stations greatly assist with the investigation of cases.
“There is close cooperation between the SA police and the internal investigations teams at the Post Office. The branch pays grants to whoever comes, as long as they qualify and according to the new system where the last three digits of a beneficiary’s ID number determines their pay day,” she said.
Njapha said the post office also found no evidence of collusion with taxi drivers at the Durban branch.
She said customers and the public who have any evidence of illegal behaviour on the part of post office employees can also contact the postal crime hotline on 0800 020 070.
