Closure of Elim Post Office a concern for many residents

Hopes that the post office in Elim may reopen soon have been completely crushed as it has reportedly been replaced with another business.

Post offices across the country are currently under business rescue because of financial difficulties they have been experiencing over the years. Business rescue practitioners have been in charge of this entity for the past two months now, since the appointments were approved by creditors on 24 July. The SA Post Office’s liabilities are said to be in the region of R12.5 billion.

The post office at Elim had been closed since last year, creating great inconvenience for the residents of Elim, Magulula, Mpheni, Mabobo, Magangeni, and other villages around Elim. They had to travel all the way to the post offices in Louis Trichardt or Waterval to withdraw money and grants, to renew vehicle licenses or for other essential services.

However, the other post offices seem to be faced with their own challenges as well. Residents have reported that Waterval Post Office has not been issuing vehicle licenses for the past five months, and they often face long queues, especially on days when social grants are paid out.

Residents are complaining that traveling to Louis Trichardt for post office services is not only expensive but also unsafe, especially for the elderly who must travel after withdrawing their money. Some of the hawkers at Elim say they are forced to leave their businesses for long hours to access post offices, resulting in lost customers for the day.

Mary Baloyi (52) from Mabobo village, who sells fruit near the old post office in Elim, said the personnel at the post office used to treat their elderly clients with respect. “At Elim Post Office, the elderly used to have their own queue and were served earlier.” Baloyi now travels 12km to Louis Trichardt Post Office as she claims that Waterval Post Office often runs out of cash for parts of the day.

The residents are not comfortable withdrawing money from chain stores such as Shoprite or using ATMs as they feel pressured to buy unnecessary items or are exposed to pickpockets.

When Limpopo Mirror visited Elim Post Office last month, the building had already been converted into a new business.

Date:11 November 2023

By: Bernard Chiguvare

Bernard Chiguvare is a Zimbabwean-born journalist. He writes mainly for the online publication, Groundup.

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