Missing parcel makes its way to owner after 13 years

A community member is shocked as she is called to the post office to collect a parcel she had considered missing years ago.

The parcel received by Sanja Hanekom.

AN UPPER Highway resident has taken to social media to share how she recently received her lost parcel from 13 years ago from the post office. Sanja Hanekom left the community in shock as she shared her story in a post on the community’s Facebook Page. She said they received two printouts in their postbox which they barely used.

“The printouts apparently originated from the local post office, one stating that there is an inbound parcel for us to uplift at the post office and the other stating that this is now the final notice for the same parcel. Barely legible documents – they’re obviously not aware that the printer comes with a cartridge – indicated that we need to pay approximately R65 for the parcel to be released.

“Since we were not expecting a parcel, we were rather confused to discover that a parcel with my husband’s name and our address is held hostage at the local post office. We rushed out to rescue the parcel, mostly because we wanted to see what all this was about. On our way to the post office, the conspiracy theories were in full swing – my hubby’s darkest predictions and mine were in the hope that the parcel may contain stacks of banknotes and a one-way ticket to ‘yours truly’.

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“As we entered the vacant post office, we approached the postal office teller and handed in the printed pages promptly. We stood there, mesmerised in bemusement, while she dragged out a huge, heavy, battered-up and excessively taped-up parcel which she handed to us over the counter. There it was. We looked at each other in disbelief. ‘Can you tell us who sent the parcel?’. She mumbled something inaudible. I pointed to the parcel. The originating postal stamp clearly stated in red: 2010. My husband did not believe his eyes. ‘But it cannot be – that is thirteen years ago?!’ It must be. Whaaaat?

“Surprise!!! The once-lost parcel was sent to us thirteen years ago by my dad when our child was born. Surreal – Twilight Zone is real,” read the post.

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Hanekom encouraged South Africans to not worry about their lost parcels.

“The South African Postal Office will take good care of your parcel and deliver it to you in due time – that is if you are still alive and have not moved to another address. If you are missing a parcel, do not lose hope – your parcel is resting at the post office warehouse and will be released safely to you when ready.”

The post was received with shock and anger as some pointed out the lack of proper services by the South African Post Office.

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