Durban: Social grant beneficiaries will still be able to collect their monies during the lockdown. On Thursday, the South African Post Office announced their social grants payments function was an essential service and among the categories exempted from the nationwide lockdown - this means grantees will be able to collect their monies.
However, SAPO’s mail services, parcel deliveries and other support operations will be suspended in conformance with the 21-day lockdown.
"In total, 882 SAPO branches have been designated to provide these services during this period. To the extent that SAPO logistics services are included in the transportation of medical aid supplies, our logistics services business unit will continue to render those services," Ivumile Nongogo, SAPO acting chief executive said.
"In order to minimise transmission risks, SAPO’s retail employees will be restricted to operating beyond one metre of each other. Measures have also been put in place to control the distance between queueing customers, as well as providing requisite queue marshaling services during peak times in the busy branches. Hygiene improving provisions such as sanitizers, gloves and masks are being made available to retail employees," Nongogo said.
Nongogo said they had accepted the decision as the SAPS was designated to provide this important national service.
"We are cognizant of the importance of social grants for a sizeable part of our population constituting mostly vulnerable people."
The SAPO customer services contact centre will also not be available either by telephone or email, and customers are urged to not expect any outstanding deliveries to take place during this time.
Customers are also advised not to place any mail items in postboxes as mail collections will be suspended during the lockdown.