The Welkom Post Office is grappling with a series of issues that hamper its ability to deliver an effective public service.
These challenges have sparked widespread concern among residents who depend on the post office for, among others, South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) payments, licences, and government documentation.
Given that operations at Welkom’s provincial traffic department are also in jeopardy, and that no new licence discs can be printed there, the broken disc machine at the Welkom Post Office is a great impediment.
This is a key component for important operations, and has been out of order for the past two months, causing a serious bottleneck for the community.
Shortages of printer ink have forced staff to cover printing costs themselves, with the public asked to make their own copies elsewhere. A previous service agreement with a private company was terminated due to non-payment.
René Steyn, DA councillor in Matjhabeng, says a shortage of postal delivery staff has significantly disrupted mail distribution across the greater Welkom area.
“The workforce has been reduced from 18 to just three. Financial constraints have compromised security during the SASSA disbursement periods, resulting in insufficient security personnel on site,” she says.
Furthermore, Steyn says that staff and the public’s safety is threatened by an alarm system that is out of order.
“A malfunctioning security keypad limits unauthorized access to the mail center. A significant backlog of seven months in deliveries further exacerbates the post office’s operational problems,” says Steyn.
