Bonteheuwel pensioners have expressed their disappointment after the local post office shut its doors last week.
According to Edna Petersen, 72, the closure of the facility will be a huge problem for them.
“The problem will be that we as seniors need to renew our Sassa cards. I don’t know how it will work now, it is a very difficult situation for us as ou mense,” she explained.
Edna said that the facility that has been serving residents for years will be a great loss to the community.
“I hope there is going to be a positive outcome for our seniors in this situation, ons sal kyk wat ons kan doen,” she adds.
Soraya Salie, the founder of the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies, told the Daily Voice that people will now have to travel out of the area.
“Not having a post office in Bonteheuwel means they now need to find that extra taxi fare.
“Gatesville is close to us but it is servicing a vast area and they need to make space. It is an inconvenience,” Salie said.
The South African Post Office did not respond to queries about the shutting of the facility in Bonteheuwel.
But, ward councillor Angus McKenzie says he is not surprised: “With Sassa teetering on the brink of collapse and now its service provider to the Sassa recipients shut, the people of Bonteheuwel will have little or no access to this much-needed service.”
Last month, the South African Post Office (Sapo) closed another 92 post offices, with 50 of them being closed by unpaid landlords.
Sapo chief executive Nomkhita Mona said the SA Post Office last posted a profit in 2004.
Mona added that the recession in 2008 and the adoption of smartphones accelerated the decline.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za