Post office director bails out

26 October 2014 - 02:03 By Asha Speckman and Sikonathi Mantshantsha
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SNAIL MAIL: The Post Office strike drags on with one union saying that no negotiations are taking place
SNAIL MAIL: The Post Office strike drags on with one union saying that no negotiations are taking place
Image: Bafana Mahlangu

The meltdown at the South African Post Office, where a strike now in its 11th week continues to disrupt mail delivery, has spread to the top echelons, with the first resignation of a director this week.

In a stinging resignation letter sent to Telecommunications and Postal Services Minister Siyabonga Cwele on Thursday, Nobuhle Mthethwa painted a damning picture of weak controls and poor board decision-making, partly to blame for the operational and financial decay at the company.

Mthethwa said that "over an extended period of time, it dawned on me that there are major deficiencies in the collective functioning of the board".

The board's major handicaps are a "lack of decisiveness, consequence-management and agility", which are attributable for its "suboptimum performance ".

Mthethwa said: "When we welcomed the new board members, my optimism was heightened as I believed their presence would augment the glaring weaknesses among the pre-existing members.

"However, this was short- lived as they soon added to the liabilities."

Mthethwa's resignation comes two weeks after CEO Chris Hlekane took "special leave", leaving the institution rudderless at a time when more than 800 of its 23000 staff remain on strike over a 15% pay hike demand.

Mthethwa's resignation is expected to open the floodgates, similar to those of SA Airways last week where five board members resigned after the state-owned airline failed to produce an annual report for the year ended March.

At least two other post office board members are expected to resign this week, said a source who declined to be named.

Spokesman Siyabonga Qoza said "the minister is abroad".

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