Question NW1399 to the Minister of Communications

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14 October 2020 - NW1399

Profile picture: Mackenzie, Mr C

Mackenzie, Mr C to ask the Minister of Communications

1.What arrangements are in place during the Republic’s national lockdown to move mail and parcels to and from international destinations? 2. Whether there is any mail backlog at the (a) Johannesburg, (b) Durban and/or (c) Cape Town international receiving centres of the SA Post Office; if so, (i) what is the total number of (aa) parcels and (bb) letters at each specified location, inbound and outbound and (ii) by what date(s) are the mail backlogs expected to be cleared; 3. Whether there are any international destinations that are closed to mail due to the outbreak of Covid-19; if so, what are the (a) names of such international destinations and (b) envisaged reopening dates in each case? NW1770E

Reply:

I have been advised by SAPO as follows:

1. The South African Post Office is currently dispatching and receiving mail from the following countries: Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Dubai, Great Britain, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Japan, London (UK), Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, USA, Botswana, ESwatini, Lesotho and Mozambique. Swisscargo is currently utilised as the dispatching and receiving airline.

2. At the time of drafting of the response,theDurban office of exchange was the only centre without mail on hand. As for Johannesburg and Cape Town offices of exchange there has been a backlog from the time that SAPO was allowed to reopen the Office of Exchange. Due to the regulatory requirements to maintain social distancing and at some point that only a third of the workforce could be in attendance, the working off the backlog is not as fast as it would usually take.

The volumes were as depicted in the table below represents in the two centres:

2.1 Johannesburg Office of Exchange (JIMC)

Product

Mail Bag

Mail items

Inbound

Outbound

Total

EMS

101

568

568

0

568

Small packets

5900

997320

997320

0

997320

Parcels

173

4697

4697

168

4865

Registers

3088

3220

3220

1687

4907

TOTAL

9262

1005805

1005805

1855

1007660

2.2 Cape Town Office of Exchange

Product

Mail Bags

Mail Items

Inbound

Outbound

Total

EMS

0

0

0

0

0

Small packets

0

4654

4654

0

4654

Parcels

0

168

168

0

168

Registers

17

1745

1745

0

1745

TOTAL

17

6567

6567

0

6567

(3)(a) The designated postal operators of Namibia, Singapore and Australia are international postal destinations that are closed to mail due to the outbreak of Covid-19.

(3)(b) Namibia mail is affected by air transportation which is not yet operational. SAPO is looking at the option of transporting Namibia mail to Gaborone in Botswana, and Namibia Post can collect from there. SAPO’s plan has been communicated to Namibia and SAPO is waiting for the response from Namibia Post whether the proposed arrangement is suitable.

The designated postal operators of Singapore and Australia have opted for the alternative of sending mail by road or sea to South Africa. The mail will be received at the Durban Office of Exchange. This will include transit mail into Africa. With regards to other international postal destinations, SAPO’s capacity to dispatch still remains dependent of the availability of flights. SAPO continue to observe the situation and as more flights become available the list of countries where dispatch is possible will be updated and the public informed.

 

MS. STELLA NDABENI-ABRAHAMS, MP

MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES

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