DURBAN – The South African Post Office has urged its customers to stop paying queue marshals in order to get preferential treatment, saying such a practice was illegal.
In a statement issued today, the Post Office said it had been aware of instances where queue marshals ask customers who visit their branches for a fee in order to be taken to the front of the queue or to ensure that they would be served.
“No Post Office employee or any other individual has the right to ask beneficiaries to pay any fee to be serviced and/or to receive preferential treatment by jumping a queue. Such practices are illegal. Customers are advised not to pay the fee demanded by any Post Office employee, queue marshals or any other person requesting such a payment,” read the statement.
The post office has seen a sharp rise in the number of people queuing at branches due to the R350 social relief of distress grant also being paid out at their offices.
The Post Office advised customers to consider laying a charge of bribery and corruption at their nearest police station if they were asked for money.
According to the institution, there is close cooperation between the Post Office’s internal Security and Investigations Unit and the SAPS, and formal charges will help put a stop to the opportunistic and unethical behaviour.
While looking at clamping down on such behaviour among its employees, it said that it does not have jurisdiction over the behaviour of members of the public outside Post Office property.
“Anybody who becomes aware of postal crime, or a crime apparently committed by an employee of the SA Post Office, should report it to the Post Office’s toll-free crime-buster hotline on 0800 020 070. The caller has the option of remaining anonymous and all calls are followed up,” the statement continued.
It also advised customers to send an SMS to 31133 or email to [email protected].
Customers have recently expressed dissatisfaction over the service they get, complaining primarily about queue marshals.
In a social media group by residents of Pietermaritzburg, several people complained about the bullying tactic of marshals, saying this needed to be put to a stop.
Some complained that the practice was also rife at Home Affairs offices, and called for “measures to clean up the system”.
THE MERCURY