Date: 28/10/2010
Source: The Department of Communications
Title: SA: Nyanda: Address by the Minister of Communications, at the celebrations of World Post Day, Kimberley

Programme Director

Dr Steve Mavuso

Chairperson of ICASA

MEC ‘ s present here

John Olifant

Councillors Present here

Senior Officials of the Post Office

Other traditional and community leaders

Senior Government Officials

Leadership and representatives of parastatals

Members of the media

Distinguished guests

ALL PROTOCOL OBSERVED

Ladies and Gentlemen

Today we celebrate World Post Day in the City of Kimberly with the people of Northern Cape. "Dit is ‘n eer en ek is greeting om hier die geleentheid bytewoon" I am thrilled to be part of these celebrations.

We mark the day on the 28th October - 19 days after its world wide celebration on the 09th of October.

It is very important for us to celebrate this day on a yearly basis as is done throughout the world.

In October 1874, countries of the world decided to mark this day. This happy ritual is part of the calendar of postal communities.

Why is it important that we celebrate this day? What is the importance of the post office? What role does the post office play in development? How does it contribute to the priorities of government which stern from its electoral mandate?

From the very beginning and progressively so since so since its foundation the Universal Postal Union (UPU) recognized the importance of the work of the post office within the countries of its members and the interaction among them.

The post office links people within each country and with other countries. In most countries, it has traditionally been the most reliable and accessible means to communicate between people.
This is so in South Africa as well. The post office has got one of the biggest footprint of the services that government offers to the people.

You will find more post offices than you will home affairs offices or traffic licensing offices in a single locality.

The post office is found in the urban metropolitan as well as the townships. They are found in the small towns and the deep rural areas. Through them our people have been able to connect with government services. Government has already subsidized the post office, largely to increase the footprint which, though large, does not offer enough accessibility to its services. We still need more post offices in parts of our country and the SAPO has a programme to build more post offices in more areas where they are currently not available.

Over the past two decades, we have seen rapid advances in information communications technologies, which have altered the way we communicate with one another. Gone are the days of the telegraph which was the high speed letter of the postal system, through which people informed friends and relatives of emergency development like family mishaps. This has been replaced by the short messaging system commonly known as "sms"

Communications through mobile hands set is quicker and cheaper and has clipped off some of the post office value but given rise to other opportunities as well.

The advent of high speed broadband and the use of computers obviate the need for physical exchange of documentation which traditional will be facilitated through the post office.

While all these post challenges to the business of the post office exists it also offers the post office an opportunity to take advantage of these technological advances to enhance its value.

I am happy to state that our post office is squaring up magnificently to these challenges. The corporatization of the post office is intended to position it to meet these global challenges by ensuring that their services are equal to the task of 21st century. In this regard, the Post Office will soon be able to verify digital signatures through the Trust Centre near Cape Town. With that the Post Office has truly embraced the age of digital communication, because this facility will give an e-mail the same legal status as a signature on paper. The challenge for the Post Office is now to educate South Africans who rely on it so much, about these developments, to embrace that responsibility to be more than just a service provider, but also a partner in assisting South Africans to change their lives by using these innovations.
The Post Office needs to accelerate and deepen its relationship with various Government departments in order to consolidate social and economic development. The most sententious development in this regard is its partnership with Government to provide 1.6 million households with postal addresses. This is a primary requirement for accessing Government services and participating in the economy, opening bank accounts for savings and investments.
The corporatization of the Post Bank Bill will play a unique role as the last "mile" in the provision of Government's services and for activating the Government's social economic programmes.
It will bring Government closer to the people in terms of delivery of goods and services. The Post Bank has the widest and most extensive reach in our country and covers rural and per-urban areas. It has acted as a trajectory for Government services that include amongst others 1) channel for distributing social grants for the Department of Social Development, 2) distributing ARVs for the Department of Health, 3) distributing Land Restitutions funds for the Department of Rural Development and Land Affairs.
Distinguished guests, there is recognition of the central role that the Post Office plays in the lives of our people by other stakeholders. The private sector has found it exceedingly important to lean on the South African Post Office networks as a distributive channel to access ordinary citizens through its infrastructure. The South African Post Office is leading in providing citizens the opportunity to save through the retail bonds. In 2009, R1.6 billion was collect by National Treasury through the Post Office. The Post Office is the preferred choice for ordinary South Africans in opening the Mzansi Bank Accounts. A wider range of service to Mzansi bank account holders will be available to communities as a result of the corporatization of the Post Bank.
The corporatization of the Post Bank is an institution that we should exploit to the maximum to guarantee service delivery. It is an opportunity to offer affordable financial services and depart from impositions and inaccessible banking services by commercial banks. Distinguished guests, we have to accelerate the movement of our people especially rural based households into the 21st Century. The period prior to the advent of technology was one in which the Post Office was located in the Chief's kraal or at a reverend's house or at a local business man's trading shop. The Post Office must be located within communities. It should be the center of communication, it must promote the use of ICTs and it must connect citizens locally, nationally and globally. It must ensure that rapid and modern day communication tools are the order of the day. It must be cardinal to linking metropolitan areas and the homesteads in the rural areas. The South African Post Offices and the Post Bank must become areas of excellence, service delivery and relevance.
Finally, I as the Minister of Communication am committed to ensuring that my Department will always be readily available to provide any required positive intervention.
In conclusion, my challenge to the South African Post Office and the Post Bank is to do more and to do it better.
Die stryd teen armhoede en werkloosheid het nou erenstig begin.
KE NAKO!
Thank you.