The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in KwaZulu-Natal calls on the newly-appointed Post Office Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nomkhita Mona, to be tough on corruption and to improve security measures in Post Offices.
The starting point for the new CEO is to take unpopular decisions, if needs be, to tighten the screws in ensuring that allegations of corruption and bribery are investigated and eradicated at all Post Offices. This includes those in KwaZulu-Natal, such as the Greytown and Highflats Post Offices.
Post Offices seem to be in the news for the wrong reasons, with serious allegations levelled against some officials. These officials allegedly demand that unemployed people who qualify for the R350 Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRD) must pay a R50 bribe – or more – in order to get served first. Those who cannot pay could wait from 4:00am to 4:30pm, and still go home unattended. It is incumbent upon the new CEO to ensure that this corrupt activity is investigated and eradicated, and those found responsible for stealing money meant for poor people are held accountable, punished, blacklisted and sent to jail. These thugs must be named and shamed in public.
Further, we have seen many Post Offices in KwaZulu-Natal being targeted by criminals, with large amounts of money being stolen. This is another challenge that the new CEO must address, as it is a well-known fact that Post Offices are responsible for paying grants. We suspect that criminals collude with corrupt officials to loot grant money meant for the poorest of the poor.
The IFP urges Post Office management to increase security measures in order to safeguard its personnel and the community, as well as the money allocated to pay grants.
Apart from the payment of grants, the Post Office offers various postal services that communities depend upon. The management at Post Offices need to put procedures in place in order to ensure that community members are assisted efficiently.
Lastly, the IFP urges community members not to pay bribes to anyone, as this contributes immensely to corruption. They must rather report those responsible for corruption to the relevant authorities, such as the police.
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Contact:
Hon. Les Govender MPL
IFP KZN Provincial Spokesperson for Social Development
083 974 4894
