Cape Town - If the Post Office’s debt, its failure to pay medical aid and pension funds, as well as the bailout snub by Treasury, hints at the state-owned company’s downfall, and comments by the company’s CEO Nomkhitha Mona all but confirm workers’ worst fears.
In addition, a presentation titled Day Zero has emerged, suggesting the SOE is preparing for its doomsday.
The Cape Argus has heard a recording of Mona, saying: “I think colleagues, as things stand right now, the reality is Sapo cannot afford to operate.”
She said the Post Office can’t afford workers’ outstanding back pay, medical aid and the pension fund “because we’re sitting with R9 million in the bank account as of today”.
“I even indicated (earlier in the meeting) that if we were a normal entity, the company would be closing down. That’s the reality. Whether it comes to whether it’s business rescue or administration, we have written to DCDT (Department of Communications and Digital Technologies) to say without financial injection to keep us going, we won’t be able to continue (operating).”
She said the funds promised to the Post Office had not materialised.
The recording emerged a few days after the Auditor-General (A-G) Tsakani Maluleke’s office’s presentation about Sapo to Parliament, in which A-G officials said the Post Office racked up losses of R2.2 billion and R6.5bn in liabilities in 2021/22.
DA MP Dianne Kohler-Barnard told the Cape Argus that staff members had their medical aid suspended by Medipos when the Post Office failed to settle a R700m debt.
Kohler-Barnard, who sits on the communications and digital technologies portfolio committee, said: “Sapo owes its creditors R4.3bn. They’ve already received a massive bailout of R6bn before.”
This comes as SA Post Office union bosses hint at a strike.
Approached for comment, Post Office spokesperson Johan Kruger said: “It is Post Office policy not to discuss internal matters with the media.”
Communication Workers’ Union general-secretary Aubrey Tshabalala recently told the Cape Argus the union was waiting for a certificate from the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration to strike over wages and other issues.
Requests and reminders for an interview with Tshabalala proved fruitless.
The Sunday Times reported that Sapo and Telkom have locked horns over a R225m debt owed to the latter. The debt relates to IT services and threatens the payments of social grants to 10 million beneficiaries.
Telkom also wants the Post Office to pay R30m every month for the duration of their contract, in addition to the R225m.
The report cited Mona as writing to Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, advising her that the termination of the contract would affect social grants services.