MONDEOR – Clr Dos Santos took it upon himself to deliver the mail and the Post Office was asked for comment. Khulani Qoma, head of communications division, said : “In all cases where postmen have several mailbags of post to deliver on the day, the SA Post Office has an arrangement with businesses and some households in the area for the storage and safekeeping of the extra mailbags while the postman is doing his rounds.
“The postman thereafter returns for the bags left for safekeeping to continue on other delivery rounds. This is called a ‘time box’ and it is an operational measure to ease the load of the mailmen per round of mail delivery, while also ensuring that mail delivery on each round occurs timeously.
“It is highly probable that the mail bag found in a business premise in question was left there as part of the operational delivery plans of the day.
“As with all allegations of mail dumping, the South African Post Office is investigation the incident. If this is an incident of mail dumping, appropriate steps will be implemented against the perpetrator.
“In terms of the Post Office policy, the dumping of mail is a serious transgression and disciplinary action is taken against employees suspected of committing it. Criminal charges are also laid with the South African Police Services against such violations. As per the SA Post Office’s standard operating procedures, abandoned mail is delivered to the intended recipients as soon as possible once it has been retrieved.
“Customers are also invited to report any incident or suspicion of mail abandonment acts to the Post Office’s Crime Hotline on 0800 020 070.”
