Cape Town - Stacks of letters, believed to be utility bills from the City, addressed to different households in areas of Steve Biko Drive, Malinga Park and Khikhi in Gugulethu, were found abandoned in a bin by residents on Tuesday.
This comes after some residents claimed that they hadn’t received their utility bills for months.
The letters, which the residents said were delivered by two guys in a bakkie, were not sealed. While other residents claim that these were hand-delivered to them, some raised concerns about the lack of protection of their personal information, which they said was carelessly displayed by the City and the local post office.
Thobeka Balintulo, the resident who made the discovery, said when she asked kids who were playing with them where they found them, they said the letters were discarded next to a bin. Balintulo said what was of concern was how the letters had got there.
Finance mayco member Siseko Mbandezi said the South African Post Office (Sapo) was responsible for the delivery of municipal bills to residents in the metro.
“We approached the Sapo when this matter was brought to our attention. The Sapo is investigating and will provide feedback to the City in due course. We urge residents to use the City’s easy and convenient e-Services where possible.
Residents may pay their municipal accounts online, apply to receive their accounts via email, and log service requests, among other things,” Mbandezi said.
Sapo spokesperson Johan Kruger said the matter of the abandoned mail in Gugulethu had been brought to the attention of the post office.
Kruger said they were investigating evidence that the delivery was done by a private contractor, and that the next course of action would depend on the outcome.
He said all incidents reported to the hotline were investigated.
Kruger said should members of the public discover abandoned mail, they should hand it in for delivery at their nearest post office and report the incident to the post office’s crime buster hotline on 0800020 070.