Centurion post office in ruins
“These homeless people are using the walls to relieve themselves and do so with zero accountability.”
The sorry state of a post office in Centurion has residents concerned it will become a shelter for vagrants reportedly “settling in”.
Residents met local ward councillor Marika Kruger-Muller as well as DA telecommunications spokesperson Cameron McKenzie at the Wierdapark post office on Monday.
They claimed it had become difficult to access their post due to health risks.
Another resident, Diaan Marx said it was becoming increasingly unpleasant to visit the post office.
“To get to our post boxes we have to walk between the mattresses used by the vagrants,” he said.
“On top of that, there is the urine smell all over.”
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Kruger-Muller said she had been receiving a lot of complaints about the state of the post office.
“That is why I decided to have the open discussion at the facility this week,” she said.
“We are aware of the complaints raised and we are taking this issue further.”
She said it was also important for residents to understand the limitations the metro sometimes operated under especially when it came to facilities such as the post office.
McKenzie said the matter would be taken to parliament in the coming week for intervention.
“Much work needs to be done including the renovation of the building and complete rebuilding of the post boxes,” he said.
“Security at the facility also needs to be tightened up. A government institution is supposed to be a safe place.”
ALSO READ: Decaying Wierda Park post office building an ‘eyesore’
Meanwhile, the SA Post Office, which owns the building where the post office is located, has launched a program to renovate various branches including this one.
“Police are involved with regards to the homeless people who are sleeping by the boxes,” said SA Post Office spokesperson Johan Kruger.
“They check the box section when they do patrols and make sure the vagrants find a sleeping spot elsewhere.”
Kruger said the post box area was also being cleaned regularly.
“In September, the post office staff and the community joined hands to clean the area. A group of children together with their teachers from a nearby school came to clean the area as part of the project.”
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