World Post Day: Postmen and postwomen still in commission
If you see a red letterbox, stop to check if it is still in use as you may be able to still use it to post letters to loved ones.
WORLD Post Day, held on October 9 every year, commemorates the anniversary of the Universal Postal Union, which started in 1874 in Switzerland.
The history of the South African Post Office dates back to about 500 years ago when the captain of a Portuguese ship, Petro D’Ataide, placed a letter in a milkwood tree at Mossel Bay in the year 1500. He wanted to send news to Portugal of the three ships that had sunk in his fleet.
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As Portuguese ships regularly stopped at Mossel Bay to take on fresh water, the plan was that the letter would be delivered by sailors, and three months later, it indeed was.
Soon, sailors travelling to or from the Orient, past the south coast of Africa, placed letters under postal stones, hoping they would be found and delivered by other ships.
However, it was only on March 2, 1792, that the first post office was opened in South Africa which later became the South African National Post Office.
The acting governor of the Cape, Johan Isaac Rhenius, opened a post office in a room next to the pantry at the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town.
A lot has changed over the centuries, and there are now various other services that the post office offers, such as mail, financial services, logistics, property, electronic commerce and retail services.
One service that has not changed, however, is the functioning of the red letterbox. In February this year, the Northglen News published a story about a Durban North resident who was stunned when she discovered the postbox on Rinaldo Road.
Another thing that has not changed is the function of the postman/postwoman.
A spokesperson for the South African Post Office, Suzie Khumalo, said that the postman is an important function within the SA Post Office as they deliver the so-called ‘last milepost’ meaning to the door of the customer.
“Postmen are allocated to areas where they are needed and can provide the most efficient service. There are currently 3 145, of which 649 are women, employed at the South African Post Office,” she said.
Apart from delivering mail to each home, the postman/postwoman also sorts mail into various geographical categories, as well as private bags and street addresses, before they start with their walks.
She added that the requirements to become a postman/postwoman are a matric pass, and in certain instances, a motorcycle licence, should a motorcycle be required where the area covered is too large to handle on foot or on a bike.
Anoosh Rooplal, the business rescue practitioner for the South African Post Office, commented: “As we celebrate World Post Day on October 9, we encourage everyone to appreciate our postmen and postwomen, whose daily rounds on foot or on a bike complete the postal loop.”
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