Report corrupt SA Post Office employees

DO NOT PAY a fee at the South African Post Office to be taken to the front of the queue when you collect a government grant.

It is illegal to pay a South African Post Office (SAPO) employee to get to the front of the queue quicker when collecting a grant at the post office.

If you are approached by a SAPO employee for payment to shorten your waiting time in a queue, you should report this immediately.

According to SAPO spokesman Johan Kruger, the SAPO has received complaints from the public about SAPO employees and self-appointed queue marshals accepting bribes to take people to the front of the queue.

Kruger urges grant recipients to lay a charge of bribery and corruption at their nearest police station, if any SAPO employee or queue marshal demands a fee in exchange for a free service, as this is illegal.

“Asking for bribes is defined as corruption by the law.

If employees are found guilty of this charge in an internal hearing, they are dismissed and a criminal charge is laid against them with the police,” says Kruger.

SAPO’s internal Security and Investigations Unit works with the SAPS to lay formal charges against culprits and to put a stop to unethical behaviour.

If you are visiting a SAPO office, remember to also observe COVID-19 regulations. This includes wearing a mask, sanitising and social distancing, to reduce the chance of spreading or contracting the virus.

“These measures are compulsory on SAPO property,” says Kruger.