The South African Post Office (SAPO) has implemented numerous measures to stop its staff from stealing packages, including installing CCTV cameras and employing security teams.
In September, the Post Office urged customers who wished to mail Christmas parcels and letters to international destinations to consider doing so soon.
“The Post Office offers the cheapest rates for sending international mail and parcels,” joint SAPO business practitioner Anoosh Rooplal said.
“Customers who use surface mail to send their Christmas gifts abroad should do so soon as this will ensure their parcels reach their destinations before Christmas day”.
However, South Africans’ biggest concern is not the timelines related to sending parcels via the Post Office but the possibility that their packages will be stolen.
The Post Office is associated with widespread package theft, which is why most people have stopped using it to send valuable items.
Daily Investor asked the South African Post Office whether it could guarantee that people’s parcels would not be stolen.
Rooplal told Daily Investor that enforcement of and compliance with operational procedures by management and the BRPs is a high priority.
“All reasonable efforts are being undertaken to secure the postal items of the Post Office clients,” Rooplal said.
After the Post Office was placed into business rescue in July 2023, the joint BRPs reinforced the capacity of the Financial Misconduct Committee.
It enabled over 250 employee disciplinary matters to be completed, including fraud, theft and malfeasance.
“These actions resulted in dismissals, where recommended. The committee remains in place,” Rooplal said.
Internal communications to the staff have included the requirement for ethical and honest conduct.
He added that they have a zero-tolerance policy on fraud and theft and that all cases will be investigated and concluded accordingly.
From a security perspective, the Universal Postal Union has funded the Post office on a CCTV and access control system project.
This project was concluded at the Germiston Office of Exchange with the main objective being to secure and safeguard the customer’s parcels.
“There are also guards on-site at Germiston Office of Exchange. The security team are in discussion for additional CCTV cameras to be deployed at other sorting centres,” he said.
At the Johannesburg International Mail Centre, adjacent to OR Tambo airport, day and night guards have been deployed, with three guards per shift.
Rooplal added that the international mail backlog has been delivered and international mail continues to move according to their time forecasts.
“Having been in partnership with Ethiopian Airlines for just under a year now, we are confident that the delivery time stated in the press release will be met,” he said.
