ATC231025: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies on its public hearings on the South African Post Office SOC Ltd Amendment Bill [B11-2023] dated 24 October 2023

Communications and Digital Technologies

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies on its public hearings on the South African Post Office SOC Ltd Amendment Bill [B11-2023] dated 24 October 2023

The Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, having conducted public hearings on the South African Post Office SOC Ltd Amendment Bill [B11 – 2023], reports as follows:

Introduction

Section 59 (1) (a) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa obligates the National Assembly (herein referred to as the Assembly) to facilitate public involvement in legislative and other processes of the Assembly and its Committees, as well as to conduct its business and meetings in public. In line with this mandate, the Committee must decide how it will deliberate its activities to fulfil the constitutional mandate.

Public hearings are part of Parliament’s public participation process in which members of the public are given an opportunity to give inputs on a Bill, in this case, The South African Post Office SOC Ltd Amendment Bill [B11-2023]. Members of the public may raise issues, comment, critique/challenge and make recommendations. The Committee thereafter drafts a report per visited province which will be used during the formal stages of the Bill when it deliberates on all the inputs received both from national and provincial public hearings. The South African Post Office SOC Ltd Amendment Bill will seek to expand the mandate of the South African Post Office (SAPO) and repurpose its infrastructure to provide diversified and expanded services. One of the most prominent services offered by SAPO, which the Bill aims to assist in fortifying, is the payment of social grants by the entity.

One of the primary reasons for the amendment will provide SAPO with the impetus to continuously adjust its business model in line with the technological and industry developments in the provision of postal services and other services – including the roll-out of service points and the use of third-party infrastructure and other related services subject to the approval of the Minister in charge.

Background

The South African Post Office SOC Ltd Amendment Bill (B11-2023) was introduced in Parliament on 11 May 2023 and subsequently referred to the Committee for consideration. The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) appeared before the Committee on 13 June 2023 to it on the Bill and the areas which will need to be amended.

To give effect to Parliament’s constitutional mandate of facilitating public involvement, the Committee commenced with an advert that was published in the national and regional newspapers from 18 July 2023 to 14 August 2023, calling for written public submissions on the South African Post Office SOC Ltd Amendment Bill [B23 – 2023]. There was one response from the public written submission.

Amending Legislation

“Every new law in effect amends an existing law “. In this case, the South African Post Office SOC LTD Amendment Bill [B11-2023] seeks to amend the South African Post Office SOC Ltd Act, 2011, so as to provide for the revised duties and expand on the mandate of the SAPO as provided for in this Act and the Postal Services Act, 1998.

Purpose of Amending Legislation:

The amendments are intended to:
- Change the wording of a law.

            - Change the scope of the law.
            - Repeal provisions.
            - Add new provisions.

Background and the Rationale for the Amendment

SAPO is a creature of statute and is governed by the South African Post Office SOC LTD Act No. 22 of 2011 and Postal Services Act No. 124 of 1998 in terms of its corporate governance, structural arrangements, duties, powers and functions.

The current legislative framework provides for SAPO’s mandate as the provider of traditional mail services, which has almost become redundant due to technological advancement and developments and how people communicate and do business in the digital age.

In terms of the legislative framework, SAPO has the exclusivity to provide reserved postal services under the Postal Services Act of 1998, which are: delivery of all letters, postcards, printed matter, small parcels and other postal articles weighing up to 1kg; issuing and sale of postage stamps; and the provision of roadside collection and address boxes.

As part of its Universal Service Obligation (USO), legislative framework and licence, SAPO is required to provide such services to every citizen in the country without discrimination and at uniform fees. The fees are therefore regulated by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) and are publicly reported.

These are considered social services that SAPO is required to provide, regardless of whether they derive financial benefit or not.

SAPO is faced with dire financial and operational challenges, which often undermine the strategic role that it can play in society and the economy and the fulfilment of the USO mandate.

With the current legislated mandate and continued financial and other operational challenges, it is evident that SAPO’s sustainability continues to be under extreme threat, which will, in turn, impact the economy and result in job losses.

The amendments to the legislation are part of the intervention to review the legislative framework governing the entity, to ensure that it is aligned with current developments and to position and empower SAPO to digitally transform and expand on its business offerings, taking advantage of opportunities created by technological developments and create more revenue-generating streams.

The SAPO SOC Ltd Amendment Bill is informed by the following documents including:

The National Integrated ICT Policy White Paper of 2016;
The Presidential Commission (PC) on Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Report; and
SAPO’s Post Office of Tomorrow Strategy

The National Integrated ICT Policy White Paper of 2016 provided for the diversification of service offerings by SAPO and position itself to serve as a strategic partner to the Government in the delivery of services.

The Post Office of Tomorrow Strategy further outlines the modernisation of its product portfolio, which will include e-services, technology modernisation, developing a smart Post Office, re-designing the logistics operations and creating a Post Office that can serve as a strategic partner to the Government in the delivery of services and businesses, including Small Medium and Macro Enterprises (SMMEs).

The interventions are also aligned with international developments where many postal operators face similar challenges and are being repurposed to provide diverse and value-added services.

The Universal Postal Union (UPU), which is a multilateral organisation responsible for postal services under the United Nations, has identified opportunities and developed new models for member country operators to diversify and adapt to remain relevant and sustainable. South Africa is a good-standing member of the UPU.

In this regard, there is an urgent need to amend the SAPO SOC LTD Act to revise the current mandate and repurpose SAPO’s infrastructure to deliver diversified services by leveraging its widespread network infrastructure and creating more revenue-generating streams.

Main Objectives of the Amendment Bill

The objectives of the Bill are to mainly amend the South African Post Office SOC Ltd Act, 2011, so as to provide for the following:

Revised duties and expand on the mandate of the South African Post Office as provided for in the SAPO Act and the Postal Services Act, 1998;
Repurposing the Post Office infrastructure to provide diversified and expanded services and exploit the infrastructure capacity to extract value and forge partnerships with other stakeholders;
Leveraging its widespread network infrastructure and serving as a facilitator for the provision of Government services;
Revision of governance structure and address problematic provisions identified during the implementation of the SAPO Act;
SAPO to serve as a logistics and e-commerce provider as well as a logistics partner for other e-commerce and logistics players, including SMMEs and informal traders;
SAPO serves as a digital hub for businesses and communities and serves as a Designated Authentication Authority that also fulfils its role as a National Trust Centre in the age of digital identity and services; and
Establishment, appointment and functions of the Stamp Advisory Committee.

The Bill would also deal with other governance provisions of the Act that were identified as problematic during implementation to ensure accountability by Executives.

Committee Members

Political Party	Committee Member
African National Congress	Mr. B. Maneli, MP (Chairperson)
	Mr. L Molala, MP
	Mr H. T Gumbu, MP
	Mr. R Mdakane, MP
	Ms. N. Kubheka, MP
	Ms. A. Mthembu, MP
	Ms T Xego, MP*
Democratic Alliance	Ms. N. Mazzone, MP
Democratic Alliance	Ms. T. Bodlani, MP
Economic Freedom Fighters	Mr. S. Tambo, MP
	Mr. V. Pambo, MP*
Inkatha Freedom Party	Ms. Z. Majozi, MP
United Democratic Movement	Mr N. Kwankwa, MP*

*indicate that a member is an alternate

Purpose of the Report

The report provides a consolidation of progress undertaken regarding the processing of the South African Post Office SOC Ltd Amendment Bill. It precedes by highlighting the main issues raised during the public participation process i.e. the public hearings, and cites key issues from the oral submissions that were in four the Provinces: Western Cape (Paarl), Eastern Cape (Idutywa), Limpopo (Thohoyandou) and Gauteng (Tembisa). The report also provides a summary of key issues raised, clause-by-clause analysis and recommendations made regarding the written submissions by the public on Bill. The report will be made up of three (3) categories that the Committee undertook to seek public comments on the Bill. These were a) oral submissions during the public hearings; b) written comments during the public hearings; and c) written comments from the advertisement of the Bill.

Provincial Public Hearings

The Committee conducted provincial public hearings from 9 September 2023 to 20 September 2023 covering four (4) provinces. The decision of the Committee to conduct public hearings (both nationally and provincially) was premised on the general principle of the Constitution which asserts South Africa as a constitutional democracy that upholds representative and participatory democracy. Specifically, sections 59(1)(a) and section 72 (1)(a) of the Constitution provide that the Assembly and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) must facilitate public involvement in the legislative and other processes of the Assembly and its committees. The Committee’s public participation process was also guided by the Parliament Public Participation Model, which provides a legislative framework that fortifies public participation in Parliament. The Committee conducted public hearings in four (4) provinces visiting one (1) District Municipality as indicated in Table 1 below:

Table 1: Dates and Venues of the Public Hearings

Provinces	DATE	MUNICIPALITY & VENUE
1. Western Cape	9 September 2023	·Cape Winelands District Municipality- Drankenstein Local Municipality - Paarl (Simondium Hall)
2. Eastern Cape	15 September 2023	·Amathole District Municipality- Mbhashe Local Municipality – Idutywa (King Hintsa TVET College)
3. Limpopo	19 September 2023	Vhembe District Municipality-Thulamela Local Municipality – Thohoyandou (Thohoyandou Town Hal)l
4. Gauteng	20 September 2023	Gauteng - City of Ekurhuleni- Tembisa (Sam Hlalele Community Hall)

SAPO SOC Ltd Amendment Bill [B11 -2023] Public Hearing – 9 September 2023

Venue for the hearings: Cape Winelands District Municipality- Drankenstein Local Municipality - Paarl (Simondium Hall)

Start Time – 10:00

Opening and Welcoming

The Chairperson opened the meeting with the National Anthem, followed by a moment of silence for meditation and prayer.

Mr Calvin Croutz, a local Councilor welcomed the Committee to the Drankenstein Local Municipality.

Committee Delegation

Members: Mr BM Maneli (Chairperson), Mr E Molala (ANC), Ms N Kubheka (ANC), Mr T Gumbu (ANC) Mr R Mdakane (ANC), Ms. T Bodlani (DA).

Committee Secretariat: Mr. Thembinkosi Ngoma (Committee Secretary), Mr. Siyabamkela Mthonjeni (Committee Secretary), Mr. Mbombo Maleka (Content Advisor), Dr Jacob Medupe (Content Advisor), Mr J van der Westhuizen (Committee Assistant), Mr. Thurston Arendse (Committee Assistant), and Mr. Justice Molafo (Principal Communications Officer).

The Committee was assisted by various business units of Parliament, which amongst others included Public Education Office (responsible for public awareness and mobilization) Protection Services (responsible for access/egress control), Public Relations (responsible for branding), Language Services (responsible for interpretation), and Audio-Visual Services (responsible for broadcasting services).

Purpose of the Visit

The Chairperson outlined the objectives of the SAPO Soc Ltd Amendment Bill, what the Committee sought to achieve in holding the public hearings, and the process the Committee was going to follow in interacting with the community. He indicated that those who would like to make written submissions should approach the Secretariat. He also emphasized that the Committee had come to listen to the community and would not be responding in the hearings but would take into consideration all submissions made when deliberating on the Bill.

Summary of the Oral Submissions

There were a total of 121 members of the public who were in attendance with the oldest being 83 years old and the youngest being 17 years. There was a fair representation of youth in attendance at the hearings. The majority of speakers were in support of the Bill with the understanding that the process would lead to a Post Office branch being established in the community and services brought closer to the people as they in the rural communities would benefit immensely from services such as the registration of motor vehicles and drivers licences. A smaller number of speakers understood the intention of the Bill and appreciated the Committee for choosing their community to conduct the public hearings. The speakers also supported clause 3 of the Bill and indicated that the expansion of services provided by the SAPO would assist rural communities in a great deal, especially money transfer services. Some of the speakers indicated that the equality and the human dignity of the people needed to be considered during the processing and implementation of the Bill. A number of speakers raised service delivery issues concerning housing subsidies and delays in grant payments. Complaints were also raised regarding some of the local Post Office branches which were closed. The community relied on these branches for a number of services and their closure forced the community to travel long distances to far branches to receive their disability and social grants. The people living with disabilities in the community raised this as a serious concern as they often suffer a lot due to the transport costs and requested the Committee to ensure that SAPO reopened some of these branches. Some of the speakers requested that the Bill should be taken to much broader communities to ensure people were aware of its objectives and benefits. The reopening of the closed Post Office branches in communities would also assist students who completed their higher education as this would present them with an opportunity to partake in internship programmes. A number of speakers requested the Committee to inform the Executive (Government) to ensure that in every housing subsidy project, 20% was given to people living with disabilities as they could not run when there were fires in the informal settlements. Members of the community also requested that if there was an incident of fire in informal settlements, where a family lost three (3) or more members, that government should assist with the burials as most of the time people living with disabilities are the most affected. Some speakers requested that the stamp advisory board be all-inclusive and cater for representation from people in rural areas and previously disadvantaged communities.

Community Members' Inputs – Public Submissions

Participants were given an opportunity to comment on the Bill. There were a number of submissions, hereby attached to this report as Annexure 1 below.

Public Hearings - Written Submissions.

There was a total of nine (9) written submissions with the majority of those supporting the Bill. However, some of the issues raised during the written submissions were as follows:

Speakers submitted that the lack of housing and Post Offices nearby was a major problem.
The recent challenges around the payment of the SAASSA grants were also raised and the Government should investigate what caused the problem.
Lack of housing and some family feuds, when it came to title deeds, were also raised with the Committee.
Lack of functional SAPO infrastructure was also a major concern.
Some of the Speakers raised concerns about the lack of reliable electricity and housing as major issues.
One of the major concerns was the elderly who struggle to get access to the postal services due to lack of the Post Office outlets in their communities.
One other submission indicated that they had been without electricity as a community for almost six (6) years including the lack of functional sanitation facilities. They indicated that a functional Post Office was very important due to affordable services when comparable to other commercial postal services.
One of the speakers highlighted that he supported the Bill and would like to see the Post Office functional as it is accessible and convenient for most of the poor communities.
One of the submissions supported the Bill as it would be unfortunate for the Post Office to close down and for people to lose jobs whilst there were families to feed and take care of.

Closing Remarks

The Chairperson thanked the members of the Committee, the support staff and all members of the public who attended the hearings. He welcomed all submissions made by the community. The comments indicated that the Committee was well received, and the Public Education Office had done its work as required.

In closing, the Chairperson informed the community that any matters that were raised which do not fall within the ambit of the Committee would be directed to the relevant Committees. The Chairperson provided a brief background on the Postbank Bill, which would provide a solution to some of the issues that were raised in the hearing.

SAPO SOC Ltd Amendment Bill [B11 -2023] Public Hearing – 15 September 2023

Venue for the hearings: King Hintsa FET College

Start Time – 11:10

Opening and Welcoming

The Chairperson opened the meeting with the National Anthem followed by a moment of silence for meditation and prayer.

Mr. Ayabonga Tatyana, a newly elected Councillor welcomed the Committee to the Mbhashe Local Municipality.

Committee Delegation

Members: Mr. BM Maneli (Chairperson), Mr. E Molala (ANC), Ms. N Kubheka (ANC), Mr. T Gumbu (ANC) Mr. R Mdakane (ANC), Ms. T Bodlani (DA)

Committee Secretariat: Mr. Thembinkosi Ngoma (Committee Secretary), Mr. Siyabamkela Mthonjeni (Committee Secretary), Mr. Mbombo Maleka (Content Advisor), Dr Jacob Medupe (Content Advisor), Mr. J van der Westhuizen (Committee Assistant), Mr. Thurston Arendse (Committee Assistant), and Mr. Justice Molafo (Principal Communications Officer).

Purpose of the Visit

The Chairperson outlined the objectives of the SAPO SOC Ltd Amendment Bill, what the Committee sought to achieve in holding the public hearings, and the process the Committee was going to follow in interacting with the community. He indicated that those who would like to make written submissions should approach the Secretariat. Lastly, he emphasized that the Committee had come to listen to the community and would not be responding in the hearings but would take into consideration all submissions made when deliberating on the Bill.

Summary of the Oral Submissions

There was a total of 152 members of the community in attendance at the public hearings. There were about 101 young people who attended the hearings. All oral submissions made supported the amendments to the Bill. A number of speakers thanked the Committee for involving their community in the law-making process. The speakers understood the importance of the Bill, however, they also focused on service delivery issues affecting their community such as lack of access to quality water, and road infrastructure. Some of the Speakers expressed the importance of capacitating the staff complement as well as security personnel around the Post Office outlets. They proposed that there be queue marshals in each Post Office to assist with the identification of persons living with disabilities, pregnant women and pensioners so that they do not stand in long queues. Members of the community called for the employment of youth in order to make sure that Post Offices became fully functional once the Bill was passed. The empowerment of the SMMEs was also raised by numerous speakers. The challenges around the payment of the South Africa Social Service Agency (SASSA) grants were also raised and the elderly had not been paid after receiving notes which referred them, to the SASSA offices on the status of their grants. Some of the speakers were also of the view that the Bill would ensure that additional Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) were going to be deployed to assist in the distribution and payment of grants by the Postbank. The communities wanted to know whether the withdrawal bank charges from Postbank would be the same as the commercial banks. Speakers raised cybersecurity concerns around the possibility of SAPO deploying the latest technologies across its networks. Some of the speakers expressed their concerns about the deteriorating Post Office infrastructure which had not been maintained for a long time. The community also urged the Committee to ensure that all the closed Post Office outlets would be reopened as this would ensure that the elderly people would not travel long distances to the nearest outlets.

Community Members' Inputs – Public Submissions

The list of oral submissions made during the public hearings is attached here as Annexure 2 below.

Public Hearings - Written Submissions.

There were no written submissions for the Eastern Cape leg of the public hearings.

Closing Remarks

The Chairperson informed the community that any matters that were raised that did not fall within the ambit of the Committee would be directed to the relevant Committees. The Chairperson provided a brief background on the Postbank Act, which would provide a solution to some of the issues that were raised in the hearing.

SAPO SOC Ltd Amendment Bill [B11 -2023] Public Hearing – 19 September 2023

Venue for the hearings: Vhembe District Municipality – Thulamela Local Municipality-Thohoyandou Town Hall

Start time: 10:00

Opening Remarks

The Chairperson opened the meeting with the National Anthem followed by a moment of silence for meditation and prayer.

Opening and Welcoming

Ms Tsakani Nkondo, the Speaker of Vhembe District Municipality welcomed the Committee to Limpopo Province.

Committee Delegation

Members: Mr. BM Maneli (Chairperson), Mr. E Molala (ANC), Ms. N Kubheka (ANC), Ms. A Mthembu (ANC), Mr. R Mdakane (ANC), Ms. T Bodlani (DA), and Mr. T Gumbu (ANC)

Committee Secretariat: Mr. Thembinkosi Ngoma (Committee Secretary), Mr. Siyabamkela Mthonjeni (Committee Secretary), Mr. Mbombo Maleka (Content Advisor), Dr Jacob Medupe (Content Advisor), Mr J van der Westhuizen (Committee Assistant), Mr. Thurston Arendse (Committee Assistant), and Mr. Justice Molafo (Principal Communications Officer).

Purpose of the Visit

The Chairperson outlined the objectives of the SAPO Soc Ltd Amendment Bill, what the Committee sought to achieve in holding the public hearings, and the process the Committee was going to follow in interacting with the community. He indicated that those who would like to make written submissions should approach the Secretariat. Lastly, the Chairperson emphasised that the Committee had come to listen to the community and would not be responding in the hearings but would take into consideration all submissions made when deliberating on the Bill.

Summary of the Oral Submissions

The majority of the speakers were in support of the Bill and thanked the Committee for having chosen Vhembe District Municipality for the hearings. Many speakers welcomed the digitalisation of SAPO as technology would improve the standard of services provided. Only one (i) speaker opposed the Bill. However, his understanding was that the Bill sought to establish a Postbank and the Chairperson provided clarity at the end of the hearing. Some of the speakers were concerned that SAPO was renting office space even though there were vacant government buildings and proposed that SAPO should make use of such infrastructure. Furthermore, speakers called for the prioritisation of employment of youth in Post Offices. Speakers highlighted corruption and nepotism as some of the serious concerns which hinder the development and sustainability of the Post Office. Lastly, the community expressed concern that some branches of the Post Office were closed without consulting the affected communities and they requested that such branches be reopened.

Community Members' Inputs – Public Submissions

Participants were given an opportunity to comment on the Bill. There were a number of submissions and the detailed inputs are attached as Annexure 3.

Public Hearings - Written Submissions.

There was a total of 36 written submissions with the majority of those supporting the Bill, with one partially supporting and two undeclared submissions. However, some of the issues raised during the written submissions were the following:

One of the submissions indicated that a new SAPO should be used to create employment in order to reduce the unemployment rate.
Part of the submission registered complaints of lack of working sanitations and that the lotto machine had not been functional at their closest branches and had to use the Post Office in Polokwane. It encouraged SAPO to move speedily to the latest and available technology to improve its services.
One other submission indicated that SAPO should resuscitate courier services to transport some of the government consignments such as medication to hospitals and many other related services which require to be couriered. SAPO should be used as WIFI hotspots for access to the internet by youth and learners to search for job opportunities and research work for the learners.
Some of the submissions advocated for skills transfer to the young people from those who have had a number of years of experience working for SAPO. Most of the Post Office employees lacked customer service expertise. Lack of shelter and enough chairs for the elderly remained a major challenge for most of the SAPO outlets.
The issue of security at the SAPO outlets was also a major concern, particularly during the withdrawal of grants by the elderly people. The submissions called for strengthened security including the building of perimeter fencing at some of the outlets. Some of the SAPO outlets have experienced a shortage of staff and this resulted in the deterioration of services.
The Post Office should be fully capacitated to be a one-stop shop where a number of services such as application of ID, driver's license the motor vehicle license renewals were able to be offered as services.
One of the submissions indicated that the absence of the Post Office at Malamulela had proven to be a problem as the elderly would need to travel to Vuwani and Saselamani for postal services and payments of grants. Transport to these distant SAPO outlets was quite expensive.
The technical glitches around the payment of grants were raised as one of the major challenges facing the elderly.
The migration of the payments of grants from pay points has affected a lot of SMMEs as there used to be food vendors who used to survive by selling food during the payments of grants. The government should assist with some interventions for the small businesses which have been affected.
Some of the submissions indicated that they supported the Bill as it was the only means of providing affordable postal services to the poor.
There were also a number of submissions which supported the Bill indicating that they would like to see the government coming up with decisive measures to support the SMMEs.
Some of the submissions have indicated that the Post Offices like the one in Thohoyandou had been without electricity for more than 3 months and this had affected services provided by these outlets.
Most of the submissions indicated the importance of rolling out the latest technologies such as e-commerce for the improvement of services and the relevance of the Post Office.
Some of the submissions that supported the Bill indicated that there was also a need for roads, job creation, affordable electricity and a library within the communities.
One of the submissions that supported the Bill strongly indicated that one of the biggest challenges within SAPO is corruption and that the Government would need to put measures in place to combat such.
One of the challenges raised was the urgent need for the rollout of the latest technologies which would also ensure that there was a creation of new jobs for the young people within SAPO.
One of the submissions which supported the Bill indicated that SAPO would need to employ competent workers as the services have deteriorated.
Some submissions indicated that SAPO would need to be conducive to providing services to people with disabilities.
One of the submissions which supported the Bill emphasized the need for the retraining of the staff members to be able to use the latest technologies and this would assist in better services by SAPO.
Some of the submissions indicated that a number of factories within these districts had been closed and lots of jobs were lost in the process. Most of the government infrastructure was non-functional and as a result service delivery had been affected greatly in the area.
1. Closing Remarks

In closing, the Chairperson informed the community that any matters that were raised that do not fall within the ambit of the Committee will be directed to the relevant Committees. The Chairperson provided a brief background on the Postbank Bill, which would provide a solution to some of the issues that were raised in the hearing.

SAPO SOC Ltd Amendment Bill [B11 -2023] Public Hearing – 20 September 2023

Venue for the hearings: Sam Hlalele Community Centre in Tembisa, City of Ekurhuleni, Gauteng Province

Start time: 10:00

Opening Remarks

The Chairperson opened the meeting with the National Anthem followed by a moment of silence for meditation and prayer.

Committee Delegation

Members: Mr. BM Maneli (Chairperson), Mr. E Molala (ANC), Ms. N Kubheka (ANC), Ms. A Mthembu (ANC), Mr. R Mdakane (ANC), Ms. T Bodlani (DA), and Mr. T Gumbu (ANC)

Committee Secretariat: Mr. Thembinkosi Ngoma (Committee Secretary), Mr. Siyabamkela Mthonjeni (Committee Secretary), Mr. Mbombo Maleka (Content Advisor), Dr Jacob Medupe (Content Advisor), Mr J van der Westhuizen (Committee Assistant), Mr. Thurston Arendse (Committee Assistant), and Mr. Justice Molafo (Principal Communications Officer).

Purpose of the Visit

The Chairperson outlined the objectives of the SAPO Soc Ltd Amendment Bill, what the Committee sought to achieve in holding the public hearings, and the process the Committee was going to follow in interacting with the community. He indicated that those who would like to make written submissions should approach the Secretariat. Lastly, the Chairperson emphasised that the Committee had come to listen to the community and would not be responding in the hearings but would take into consideration all submissions made when deliberating on the Bill.

Summary of the Oral Submissions

The public hearings were attended by about 64 members of the community coming from the broader Ekurhuleni Region. Those in attendance were predominantly those serving in the various ward committees from the region. All the speakers supported the Bill and welcomed the opportunity to make submissions to the Parliament. One of the clarity-seeking questions was how the Bill was going to support small business development. The majority of the speakers requested that old SAPO branches in their communities that were closed due to lack of business be reopened and buildings be renovated to accommodate the expansion of services and that there be suitable ablution and shelter for the elderly.

A number of Speakers also requested that there be enough employment opportunities for the young people within SAPO. It was further emphasised that SAPO will need to increase its scope of work so that it becomes part of the digital space as most of the services were reduced due to a lack of deployment of the latest technologies. The lack of proper monitoring of services was also raised as a serious concern as it resulted in poor service delivery. Whilst a majority of the speakers were in support of the Bill they however raised concerns on service delivery. One of those was a regular shortage of medication at the Tembisa Hospital and a lack of electricity due to the prolonged time to replace faulty infrastructure such as transformers. There were also requests for mobile Post Offices and clinics. Some of the speakers wanted to know how to report faults on the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) services.

Community Members' Inputs – Public Submissions

Participants were given an opportunity to comment on the Bill. There were a number of submissions and the detailed inputs can be found in Annexure 4 below.

Public Hearings - Written Submissions.

There was a total of 23 written submissions with the majority of those supporting the Bill with two supporting the Bill partially. However, some of the issues raised during the written submissions were the following:

Communities of Wattville supported the Bill and submitted that they never had a Post Office in their area and this has affected the postal service delivery, particularly for the elderly. It also indicated that there was a general lack of basic infrastructure such as recreation centres, and roads and there was a general decline in services in the area.
Some of the submissions pleaded with Parliament to assist with interventions for youth who were addicted to drugs and dropped out of school in the process. There was a generally high rate of employment due to the number of youth without matric in the Community. The lack of sanitary pads was also raised and teenage girls always had been stigmatised as a result of lack of pads during their periods. There was a plea that SAPO should be capacitated to enable them to issue birth certificates and Identity Documents.
One of the submissions was difficulty accessing the postal services due to the distance from the closest Post Office. There was also a general shortage of basic infrastructure such as schools and clinics.
Communities submitted that the government would need to introduce mobile Post Offices to deal with the shortage of postal services within the poor communities.
One of the submissions supported the Amendment Bill as it was necessary for the sustainability of SAPO.
Community members submitted that there was a general problem of the abuse of drugs due to a lack of job opportunities. There was a plea that SAPO should create job opportunities for young people.
One of the submissions raised the issue of incorrect addresses used by SAPO in the delivery of mail. Community members had to go for the expensive private service providers due to the reliability of their services. The logistics business of SAPO was slow and not very effective. The collapsed collaboration between SAPO and institutions of higher learning will need to be revisited on the delivery of study materials for the students. The systems used at SAPO were also outdated and this affected service delivery negatively as customers had to wait in queues for a very long time.
There was the submission that there was a general lack of infrastructure maintenance such as fixing potholes and cutting of street grass. One of the primary reasons is that there was no capacity to carry out these services whilst a huge number of youth remained unemployed.
Some of the submissions emphasised the importance of the Post Office serving as a WIFI hotspot to assist youth with research work for assignments and job-hunting;
Several submissions felt that the Bill had not adequately addressed the problem of the closure of several SAPO outlets across the country. This problem had left several communities without postal services and universal services as required by law.
Some of the issues raised during the submissions were that there had been corruption on the allocations of vacant lands and communities who had applied and waiting to be allocated stands had to wait for a number of years.
One of the members of the Community from Wattville indicated that it had been 20 years without the Post Office and they always had to travel long distances to access the services.
The issue of cyber security with Postbank was also raised as one of the major concerns;
One of the submissions indicated that the Post Office in Duduza was vandalized and has been dysfunctional since then.
The other submission indicated that it was costly for the Post Office to lease outlets in malls as those were very expensive. The submission recommended that SAPO should make use of the available government structures instead of paying exorbitant rentals at the malls.

Closing Remarks

Statistical Analysis

There was a total of 545 members of the community who attended the public hearings across the four provinces. The Limpopo province had the highest number of 208 and the province also had the highest number of submissions which included both oral and written.

Public Hearings: Oral Submissions

The Bill was hugely supported by the overwhelming majority of the speakers with a total of 52 across the four provinces visited and only two (2) did not support the Bill. One of the speakers cited that the reasons for not supporting the Bill were due to the corruption within SAPO.

Public Hearings Summary of Speakers' Views on the SAPO Amendment Bill
Number	Province	Yes	No	Partial	Undeclared
1	Western Cape	19	0	0	0
2	Eastern Cape	7	1	0	0
3	Limpopo	11	1	0	0
4	Gauteng	13	0	0	0
Total		50	2	0	0

Public Hearings: Submitted Forms Received at Public Hearings

There were a total of 68 written submissions during the public hearings with the majority of those supporting the Bill. Three (3) supported the Bill partially and two (2) did not make any declarations.

Province	Submission Forms	Support	Not Support	Partial	Undeclared
Western Cape	9	9	0	0	0
Eastern Cape	0	0	0	0	0
Limpopo	36	33	0	1	2
Gauteng	23	21	0	2	0
Total Forms 68		63	0	3	2

Key Emerging Issues Across the Provinces

The following is a summary of the comments received during the public hearing:

Major Issues Raised from the Submissions

The Bill was supported by the overwhelming majority of the speakers and raised a number of challenges when it came to the services provided by the Post Office.

Some of the speakers supported clause 3 of the Bill and indicated that the expansion of services provided by the SAPO will assist rural communities in a great deal, especially money transfer services.
Clause 9; Section 14 of the Principal Act: The proposal indicates that there must be government officials in the composition of the stamp advisory committee. The Bill does not indicate whether it would be officials or politicians. A request was made that the clause should be clear in this regard. In addition, the advisory Committee should have indicated a fixed term of office. A proposal of three or five years was made in this regard.
Members of the community raised concerns about the distance which the elderly had to travel to access postal services due to the number of Post Offices which were closed.
SAPO to reopen the closed branches and ensure that there were internship opportunities for youth within the postal sector.
Some of the speakers submitted that the proposed Stamp Advisory Board must have a fair presentation across the demographic spread in the country.
Community members indicated that functional SAPO was important as its services were affordable compared to the private postal services.
There were a number of submissions who complained about the poor customer service at SAPO branches and pleaded with the Department to ensure enough capacity to improve the quality of service.
One of the primary concerns raised was the lack of security at SAPO outlets particularly during the payment of social grants.
Involvement and empowerment of SMMEs by SAPO was also raised and speakers pleaded with the Government to ensure that small businesses were empowered within the sector.
Number of submissions welcomed the provisions that SAPO would roll out the latest technologies to improve services within the sector.
Number of submissions highlighted concerns around the ageing of the Post Office's current staff and that employment of youth should be prioritized.
Some of the submissions implored that SAPO should consider using more government buildings and minimise renting private properties.
Corruption and nepotism were raised as some of the huge challenges within the sector and the Committee was urged that the new Bill must eradicate the culture.
The closing of branches without consulting communities had posed serious problems and the community members needed these services the most.
Some of the written submissions stressed that SAPO would need to resuscitate functional courier services to provide many needed to the department such as health.
Some of the speakers submitted that SAPO should also be used as WIFI hotspots to assist with internet connectivity for the surrounding communities and students for research work.
The Post Office should be fully capacitated to be a one-stop shop where a number of services such as application of Identity Documents (IDs), driver's licenses and Motor Vehicle License (MVL) renewals could be offered as services.
There was a plea from the speakers that the government must ensure that the Post Office is back in the townships.

Matters Raised Outside the SAPO Amendment Bill

Some of the General Observations are:

Some of the poorest communities emphasised the importance of ensuring that there was equality during the processing and implementation of the amendments of the Bill.
Number of speakers across the country who raised service delivery issues concerning housing subsidies and grant payments.
Youth unemployment across the country remained one of the prominently featured submissions that there is a huge number of unemployed young people.
There was a submission that people living with disabilities should be prioritised when it comes to housing subsidies and that 20% be set aside and this will have to cater for any eventualities such as when there were fires with persons living with disabilities being the most affected.
The submissions on the lack of infrastructure such as appropriate roads and lack of quality water supplies.
General challenges when it came to the payment of the SASSA grants by the Postbank which had recently been separated from SAPO as a subsidiary.
That there was a greater need for additional ATMs by the Postbank.
That load shedding remained the biggest concern across the country.
Lack of adequate security during social grant payments was also raised as a concern.
The demographics and composition of the Committee were also raised particularly the representation of youth and people living with disabilities.
Shortage of medication within public hospitals such as the Tembisa Hospital was raised.

Public Written comments from the advertisement of the Bill

The Committee placed an advert in the National and Regional newspapers which was published from 18 July 2023 to 14 August 2023, calling for written submissions on the SAPO SOC Ltd Amendment Bill. There was one response from the public written submission.

Mr Sannie Samuel Zwane submitted in his personal capacity as an academic within the information technology sector. Mr Zwane indicated a willingness to appear before the Committee for oral submission. His submission was as follows:

“Digital Community Infrastructure Framework for Inclusive Progress”

In an era defined by technological advancements and a growing need for social and economic inclusivity, the potential to revolutionize societal progress through innovative solutions has never been greater. This executive summary outlines a visionary initiative: The Digital Community Infrastructure Framework, designed to harness the existing infrastructure of the South African Post Office (SAPO) to foster both social integration and economic empowerment. Emboldened by a steadfast commitment to a Public Value Perspective, this framework presents a transformative approach to address the complexities of financial exclusion, digital divide, and community development in the context of South Africa.

As we delve into the core principles and strategic dimensions of this framework, it becomes evident that its implications transcend mere digital transformation. This initiative carries the promise of reshaping communities, enabling entrepreneurship, and propelling South Africa toward a more equitable future. By capitalizing on SAPO's extensive reach and trusted presence, this framework not only addresses prevailing challenges but also paves the way for the nation to embrace the digital age with purpose and impact. Through the convergence of technology, collaboration, and a shared commitment to the public good, the Digital Community Infrastructure Framework seeks to establish a legacy of empowerment that transcends generations.

In the subsequent sections, we will explore the strategic imperatives, key components, actionable phases, and potential stakeholders that will collectively shape the implementation and success of this framework. By weaving together insights from technology, economics, and social development, this framework emerges as a holistic solution capable of fostering a vibrant, participatory, and inclusive society. Through the navigation of the contours of this visionary undertaking, it is evident that the Digital Community Infrastructure Framework represents a transformative step toward a future where every citizen's potential is unleashed, barriers are dismantled, and the promise of progress is unlocked for all.

Conclusions on the Public Hearings

The South African Post Office SOC Ltd Amendment Bill [B11 -2023] public hearings received an overwhelming response from the communities which were visited. The Bill was supported by the majority of the participants during the hearings. The Committee noted a plethora of issues about service delivery on matters which were outside of the mandate of the Committee. Members indicated that those issues had been noted accordingly and would be raised with the relevant structures.

There was also a written submission in response to the advertisement with the invitation to the public to participate in the Bill. The submission was anchored on a proposed framework through the use of technologies which would ensure that SAPO infrastructure was fully utilised to bridge the digital divide which should promote financial inclusion and community development in the context of South Africa.

Annexures - Speakers Oral Submissions

There were a number of Speakers who made oral submissions and the following issues were highlighted:

Annexure One

Venue for the hearings: Cape Winelands District Municipality- Drankenstein Local Municipality - Paarl (Simondium Hall)

Speaker 1 – Supported the proposed amendments but there is no Post Office in Simmondium. People must travel long distances to get to the Post Office in Paarl, and upon arrival have to stand in long queues and priority is always given to people from around the area.

Speaker 2 – Supported the proposed Amendment Bill as it would benefit the marginalized communities especially people from the rural and remote areas of the country. They are the ones who struggle to access those services. The Bill would help the people as it also sought to partner with other stakeholders to bring services to the people. The Post Office should be responsible for providing services to the people as per their needs. The Speaker supported all the proposed amendments to the Bill. These amendments would enable people to have access to the Postbank as well.

Speaker 3 – supported the Bill wholeheartedly. Post Office remained beneficial to the people of the rural areas. The system to renew drivers’ licenses was already working and if all services could be provided by the Post Office it would make the lives of the poor better. The amendments will bring these services closer to the people.

Speaker 4 – Indicated that applied for a house but still lived in a shack.

Speaker 5 – Indicated that he has four children but without proper housing.

Speaker 6 – Wanted to know what happened to the house when the cousin passed away.

Speaker 7 – Indicated difficulty in applying his mind when reading what was proposed on the Bill as the Post Office and the services which were supposed to be rendered were very close to my heart. However, the services are getting worse and worse each day. I do not expect anyone to share my perspectives. Currently, it takes about 2 to 3 months to receive mail. The water Bills are supposed to be received through the Post Office, but they arrived late and at the time people had already received summons. There is no Post Office in Simondium and people have to spend money to go to Stellenbosch to get Postal Services. He requested that the Post Office services be reinstated with immediate effect.

Speaker 8 – Indicated that he lived in the squatter area. People were suffering as there was no Post Office in Simondium. Indicated that they always travelled to Stellenbosch for Postal Services and people living with disabilities and the elderly were not able to get services. There were also cases of where we needed to go on behalf of the elderly to the far-flung Post Offices but the staff always refused to serve us as we were not the account holders. They indicated that they were glad Parliament came to listen to the communities. The speaker indicated that they needed a Postal Service in Simondium that would be accessible to all the people including those living with disabilities. The young people from the community also struggled to apply for the SRD grants during Covid-19. It would assist us greatly if we can have a Post Office.

Speaker 9 – Spoke about SASSA and the Post Office. The speaker indicated that the same morning had to get up at 04:00 to be at the hearings. She could walk I am disabled. Long ago we had a Post Office here and I used to receive my money there. Since there was no Post Office, the community member always had to go to Paarl to get my social grant. I am almost 60 years old with no place to stay. I currently live under very difficult conditions. Please plan for us to get a Post Office in Simmondium. The people from Paarl were very rude and mostly prioritised people from the area. Yesterday, after collecting the grant, the speaker was left with a small amount of money as was forced to take two taxis to the Post Office for social grant payments. Community Members pleaded for help to get a Post Office opened in proximity as they were struggling, in particular people living with disabilities.

Speaker 10 – Supported this Bill as it spoke to the needs of our people. This would even be welcomed if the Post Office was going to be expanded for SMMEs and young people who would like to be involved in business. The amendments contained in the Bill should be properly explained to the people so that they could see the importance of the Bill. The speaker indicated the need for a Post Office that was closer to the people. The Bill will at least stop the Post Office being privatised. This bill would assist people in rural communications and townships. The committee needed the services to be brought to the people, through digital platforms. All the proposed amendments were supported.

Speaker 11 – Welcomed the opportunity to engage with the Committee. Service delivery was not what it was supposed to be. The Post Office has had a shortage of staff. The speaker pleaded on behalf of the elderly who stood in long queues before being helped. Difficult for them to receive Postal Services. The youth had acquired qualifications but still struggled to get internships at the Post Offices. The presence of the Post Office in Simondium would assist school kids especially when most of their work gets done online.

Speaker 12 – Indicated that was expected to walk long distances to get to the nearest taxi and about R46 to get to a Post Office on a single trip. This was quite costly to access the services of the Post Office. The members pleaded that a SAPO branch be built or that the government provide a mobile satellite Post Office.

Speaker 13 – Wanted to know in case a new branch was to be built on where that was going to be built in the area. How far would the community members expected to walk to get to the nearest Post Office?

Speaker 14 – Indicated that previously they used to fetch their post from BPK but now that the branch has been closed they must now go to Paarl to receive Postal Services. We do not even know what our Postal address is. We need a Post Office very urgently.

Speaker 15 – Parliament was at Ceres last year and the speaker was in attendance last year. The speaker presented similar requests. The speaker indicated that he was a Councillor of Drankenstein. The Councillor requested Parliament to speak to the Municipality of Drankenstein. There were disabled people living in informal settlements. He pleaded that when houses were built for communities, at least 20 per cent should be given to persons living with disabilities. They were the ones who were unable to get away when confronted by fires. Since they lived in the shacks, when people die as a result of fire, we request Parliament's intervention.

Speaker 17 – Welcomed and supported the Bill as proposed. Equally added the following: requested that the Board should include persons who were suitably qualified and with a demographic spread where Postal Services were mostly needed. The speaker indicated that they knew the importance of the Post Office; therefore, requested that the Postbank should have its own ATMs closer to the people. The Postbank must be modernised so that like other banks, it could be easily accessible.

Speaker 18 – Indicated that the grannies had received their monthly grants. They were still waiting up to this day. Parliament must assist and ensure that the elderly people are not subjected to all these, particularly those coming from rural areas.

Speaker 19 – The Post Office is very important the ordinary people’s lives. These would enable them to get affordable services from the Post Office when compared to private companies. This month, the elderly had not been paid grants on time and did not even know where to go or who to ask. They asked that they have a Post Office close by within their communities.

Speaker 20 – Supported the Amendment Bill as proposed. Indicated that they were against the closing of the Post Offices in South Africa. The Post Offices were of great importance to our community. They need to be revived as a matter of urgency.

Annexure Two

Venue for the hearings: King Hintsa FET College

Speaker 1 – Indicated that would not raise issues relating to the Bill but issues relating to water shortages in our town and college. It is very difficult to survive without water and we are expected to buy water for drinking and washing our clothes. Please help us with water.

Speaker 2 – In Idutywa the Post did not have a security that assists with queueing people during the payments of social grants and general services. Older people are pushed off and overtaken by the youth. We also need Chairs for queueing for old people. Persons living with disabilities and those who are pregnant should be prioritised in terms of receiving services, however, due to a shortage of staff, these people are unable to be prioritised.

Speaker 3 – The Post Office had ageing staff members and was unable to serve the community. SAPO must create job opportunities for young people. He also indicated that there were challenges for the elderly and pregnant women who didn’t have a place to rest while waiting to be served. Young people were not getting business opportunities even though they had registered companies that had the capacity as service providers for SAPO.

Speaker 4 – Did not support the Bill. I want to know whether since there will be new Postbank ATMs, were there going to be ATM charges when conducting withdrawals from the ATMs. How long would it take before the ATMs were rolled out the Postbank?

Speaker 5 – I support the Bill. However, there were challenges with the dilapidated SAPO infrastructure which needs to be upgraded urgently to service the communities. One of the issues was regarding the lack of road infrastructure and quality water supply within the municipality.

Speaker 6 –The speaker supported the Bill as it seeks to digitise the Post Office and bring advanced service delivery within the sector. The use of technology will ensure speedy and quality services than the traditional ways of communicating. These proposed amendments would make life very easy for young people as well particularly when it comes to job opportunities. She also supported the idea of the new ATMs but worried that they would bring problems, especially for older people on security-related measures.

Speaker 7 – Welcomed the additional services proposed in the amendments. He was however concerned with the state of the Post Office (it's dirty and filthy), and those who work at the Post Office were not concerned with customer service. People woke up early in the morning to join long queues to collect their R350 grants from the Post Office. There were submissions that ageing SAPO staff must leave the Post Office to make way for young people who will be able to improve the services. There were a lot of young people who had the qualifications to do the job. If Parliament restores the Idutywa Post Office, there would be a need for qualified people to be appointed.

Speaker 8 – Was overjoyed by the visit of the Committee especially as it sought to elevate the services of the Post Office. What made the speaker happy was that their children would get job opportunities, and this would reduce the high crime due to unemployment. Unemployed youth were forever idling and getting into mischief. Some elderly people lived alone in the villages and were scared because of these unemployed youths. Concerns were also raised around the delays in the payments of SASSA grants at the beginning of September 2023. There was a request that the Committee do everything possible to ensure that this did not happen again. The emergence of ATMs was also welcomed as it will reduce crime.

Annexure Three

Venue for the hearings: Vhembe District Municipality – Thulamela Local Municipality-Thohoyandou Town Hall

Speaker 1 – Supported the Bill but was concerned that copies of the Bill in indigenous languages were not provided to the attendees.

Speaker 2 – Supported the Bill, however, the Post Office no longer provides services to the people as per its mandate.

Speaker 3 – Thanked Parliament for involving the public in developing laws. He supported the Bill and appreciated that technology was going to be used to revive and improve the standard of the Post Office. The Bill should ensure that the people who are already working for the Post Office do not lose their jobs due to expected efficiencies which will be brought by technology.

Speaker 4 – Read out clause 3 and indicated that the composition of the Stamp Advisory Committee was not clearly outlined on how the various demographics would be represented. The SA Post Offices had collapsed financially and politically and an urgent intervention would need to be implemented. More than half of the branches had been closed and could not perform postal services (electricity and water shortages are some of the challenges).

Speaker 5 – Supported the proposed amendments to the Bill.

Speaker 6 – Supported the proposed amendments to the Bill. However, disappointed with the absence of the Youth and Persons Living with Disabilities on the Committee as she did not see the youth and people with disabilities.

Speaker 7 – Advised that Parliament must avoid renting buildings charging exorbitant prices. The Post Office should own its buildings. SAPO staff must be empowered to provide the services provided on the Bill. Improved Post office services were desperately needed in rural areas.

Speaker 8 – Supported the proposed amendments, Bill. In the past, there used to be fast mail but such service was no longer available. There was a need for such services to be returned, youth must also be employed, and revive the Post Offices.

Speaker 9 – Supported the proposed amendment, Bill. He indicated the urgent need for the revival of Post Offices in rural areas.

Speaker 10 – The Post Office in Tiyani continued to face challenges even though it services 25 villages. It was surprising that the Post Office did not have facilities to assist the elderly. There were no working toilet facilities. There was no shelter from the sun and the elderly fainted due to heat. The Post Office network needed to be upgraded. Nicholas supported the Bill with the hope that there was not going to be corruption otherwise EFF would deal with it.

Speaker 11 – Supported the Bill. Some years back Post Office used to be functional and people relied on the entity for services. SAPO was encouraged to employ more young people as they are best suited to access technology.

Speaker 12 – Some of the Post Office outlets have been without a warning to the people they served. Tembani supported the Bill and believed it was good and would help some of the small towns in the Limpopo Province.

Speaker 13 – Supported the proposed amendment Bill. In the olden days, communities had Post Offices in the rural areas, but now people are dependent on Post Offices in towns. The speaker expressed hope that the Bill would bring back some of the closed Post Offices.

Annexure Four

Venue for the hearings: Sam Hlalele Community Centre in Tembisa, Gauteng

Speaker 1 – Supported the proposed amendments to the SAPO Bill. The speaker requested that Parliament assist in bringing the Post Office back to the townships. We further ask that youth should be considered for employment at Post Offices. They also called yet again for support of small businesses within the postal sector.

Speaker 2 – Supported the proposed Amendment Bill. He indicated that the Post Office needed to increase the scope of its work to remain relevant. In the event of digitisation, the Post Office had not been flexible enough to adapt to the digital age. The amendment would assist in ensuring better services, especially in rural areas. The separation of the Postbank and SAPO is also supported.

Speaker 3 – Supported the proposed amendments to the Bill. However, she raised concerns about the Post Office. She indicated that the number of branches have been closed and most of the communities do not have Post Office services. Where there were Post Offices, the systems were often offline for longer periods, sometimes up to a month. The speaker humbly requests government intervention and monitoring of Post Offices. She also called on the employment of youth in the Post Offices as most of the youth were unemployed.

Speaker 4 – Supported the proposed amendments to the Bill. The speaker would like to submit the following, Tembisa Hospital was no longer a hospital but a mortuary.

Speaker 5 – Supported the proposed amendments to the Bill. However, requested that the Post Offices in their communities be refurbished. She also indicated a need for a Police Station in Kwa-Thema. Lastly, she indicated they urgently needed assistance with the electric transformer as it affects the electricity connection in our area. She called on abolishing the age restriction of 18 to 35 years and that government should prioritise those with skills and relevant competencies.

Speaker 6 – The speaker supported the proposed amendment to the SAPO Bill.

Speaker 7 – Supported the amendment to the SAPO Bill. The speaker also highlighted that she was grateful for the Post Office retirement fund and She was currently on pension after retirement from SAPO. She had a number of challenges though about DTT. She said that she was stuck with 13 decoder sets at her house that were left at her place and have not been collected since. These were left by Sentech subcontractors and installers in her house.

Speaker 8 – Supported the proposed amendments to the SAPO Bill.

Speaker 9 – Supported the proposed amendments to the SAPO Bill. The amendments are going to be helpful to the Committee even though I do not remember having a post office in Springs. We need Post Offices in our communities.

Speaker 10 –Supported the proposed amendments to the SAPO Bill. However, we are experiencing challenges with the DTT decoders switching on or off and there are no interventions with these technical glitches. We have a problem with safety and security, especially in the old residential areas. Several people are renting out their houses without maintaining them.

Speaker 11 – Supported the proposed amendments to the SAPO Bill. We are grateful for the opportunity to raise our communities. There are many churches in Brakpan, some in the open fields, flats, and residential houses.

Speaker 12 – Supported the proposed amendments to the SAPO Bill. Pleaded that the government must ensure that services were delivered to the people. People were tired of empty promises. People were done talking as South Africans but needed action now.

Report to be noted

Documents