Glenn Babb, chairman of the Muizenberg Historical Conservation Society
I have a postbox at the Muizenberg post office, and I intend to claim at the small claims court from the SA Post Office for breach of contract and loss of business and postal items.
The Muizenberg post office closed without notice and no further documents were delivered to my postbox number. At the same time, street deliveries mysteriously stopped. The result is that returns from the sheriff and the courts, magazines, registered letter slips, and general postal items no longer reach their destination. Enquiries at other post offices (Blue Route and Fish Hoek – Retreat being long closed) were unable to reveal where my post is being held.
The Muizenberg Historical Conservation Society, of which I am chairman, also holds a postbox at Muizenberg which is not serviced. The cost of the postbox is R850 per year. Losses of business and physical items mean that I am substantially out of pocket for having relied on a millennia-old system – even the Romans and the Mongols had safe and reliable postal systems.
• SA Post Office spokesman Johan Kruger responds: The SA Post Office apologises for the new arrangements for customers of the Muizenberg post office.
The Muizenberg post office was closed permanently on February 28, owing to the landlord who terminated the lease.
Customers who used the Muizenberg post office before can now collect their mail at the Retreat branch, which is 7km away in the Abasha Park Building, 7th Avenue, Retreat.
This was communicated through SMS (to customers who shared their numbers with us) and a notice at the closed branch.
There has been a marked improvement in street deliveries since the post office has switched to a new transport supplier and has also launched a programme to deliver all mail on hand. In the meantime, he is welcome to arrange for collection of his mail from the Retreat branch.
Customers with any enquiries are welcome to email Socialmedia@postoffice.co.za.