DA supports proposal for Post office to find private investors

[File Image]: A woman gets her mail from the Post office box.

2 minutes

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it supports Communications and Digital Technologies Minister, Solly Malatsi’s proposal for the South African Post office (SAPO) to go and find private investors on the market.

The DA says SAPO’s footprint in the country is a dream of any investor.

The Post Office remains under business rescue.

DA MP, Katlego Bodlani says the party had warned for many years that SAPO was mismanaged and that endless bailouts were not the solution for the post office.

Bodlani was speaking in the National Assembly last night during the debate on the Budgetary Review and Recommendations Report for the Department and its entities.

She says, “We were shocked to hear that Post Office faces day-zero by the end of October 2024. We call on the minister to take this country into confidence on what the state of SAPO is, considering that were have past the envisioned day-zero.”

“Also noting that in his Mid-term Budget, the minister of finance was sensible enough not to provide further bailouts to SAPO. House Chairperson we stand to support Minister Malatsi’s proposal for SAPO to go to the market and find private sector investors. SAPO remains a strong South African brand with a food print across the country, a dream for any investor,” Bodlani adds.

However, African National Congress (ANC) MP and member of the Communications and Digital Technologies Committee, Shaik Subrathie cautions that the post office remains a public entity.

Subrathie says, “We also caution the minister that he has alluded towards private equity funding for the post office. The ANC remains firm that it is a public institution and that we must endeavour to find solutions to that.”