Johannesburg - The Communications Workers Union (CWU) has called on Telecommunications and Postal Services Minister Siyabonga Cwele to fire the entire SA Post Office (Sapo) board for “incompetence and looting” of the entity’s funds.
The call comes as the crippling strike by Post Office employees nears its ninth week. The strike, which has paralysed critical services such as the delivery of mail and banking, has left frustrated customers seething.
Matters appeared to worsen last Thursday when non-striking employees allegedly did not get their September salaries, heightening fears that Sapo was bankrupt.
The ANC has called on the Special Investigating Unit and Public Protector Thuli Madonsela to “move with speed” to finalise their investigations into alleged corruption in Sapo.
The party said the outcome and recommendations of the probes would help create stability at the embattled public entity
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Amid growing anger, CWU gave the strongest indication yet that it could be much longer before the strike ended.
“We are demanding that all workers be converted to permanent positions, that salaries be increased and that you can only resolve challenges by removing the Post Office board,” said CWU general secretary Aubrey Tshabalala during the union’s post-national congress media briefing in Joburg.
“The fault is not with the workers, but squarely with the inexperienced management. The board is useless,” said Tshabalala.
The minister has been conspicuous by his silence since the strike started two months ago.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Cwele’s spokesman Siya Qoza said: “The minister is meeting all stakeholders to stabilise the SA Post Office, stop intimidation… and make sure that the post office delivers on services as soon as possible.”
Sapo spokesman Lungile Lose said yesterday: “There are relevant institutions and channels to deal with the allegations as made by CWU... Issues related to the board are best commented to by the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services.”
Lose denied that there were workers who were not paid.
The Star