Umhlali residents do it for themselves to restore landmark home of ‘snail mail’

The Umhlali Post Office is an eyesore.

An air-conditioner is hanging off the wall and cables jut out in every direction, while uncollected post, diverted from Ballito, covers almost every surface.

Cracked concrete is lifting. There is no fence or security, and water pipes have been stolen.

However, it’s all about to change.

Residents of the picturesque seaside town on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast have adopted an “if we don’t do it, no one else will” attitude to revamping the red-brick building after their cries to the SA Post Office (Sapo) fell on deaf ears.

Responding to a plea from ward councillor Privi Makhan, residents have come on board with thousands of rand in donated goods and services.

The refurbishment started this month with plumbing.

The decayed front door was removed and a donated fire-resistant replacement installed.

A new fence, gate, skips, burglar guards and paint have been sponsored. The garden will be rehabilitated after the concrete is excavated.

“This is all being done by residents,” Makhan said.

She wrote to Sapo in 2020 with a request for ablution facilities as hundreds of people queued for hours to collect grants.

Business owners also contacted Sapo with the same complaint, as post office users were urinating on the street or outside their premises.

Their letters were not acknowledged.

Sapo spokesperson Johan Kruger said last week there were no funds for maintenance.

“The Post Office sees itself as part of the community where it operates and sincerely appreciates the support and participation we receive from the communities in which we do business. The Post Office is well aware that maintenance is due on some of its buildings and this will be prioritised as soon as funds become available.

“The Covid-19 pandemic brought about a dramatic reduction in the revenue of the Post Office, from which it has not yet recovered. This means some essential maintenance on buildings could not be done. The Post Office has requested funding and has also — in the form of the online renewal service for motor vehicle licences — implemented the first of several initiatives to increase revenue. There is more to come,” he said.

Makhan said she decided to take on the project after realising there were a number of state-owned buildings in a similar or more dire state and, if the community did not take it upon itself, a vicious cycle of complacency would follow.

“The post office is an iconic building and part of the Umhlali heritage and history. As a collective we are passionate about preserving our community,” she said.

Brett du Toit, who sponsored the door, said the post office was a landmark in the area and it would be a shame to see it decay.

“We have such a great community here in the north. People are friendly and a lot are willing to help others out. Government is idle. [It has] misplaced money and it looks like most of it [has been stolen], so there is little chance a small old post office in Umhlali will receive funding. For this reason I believe we [must] come together to make things right for all of us here in the community,” he said.

Brett Moran, who donated the air-conditioners, agreed that taxpayers shouldn’t have to maintain buildings, but added that if government was shirking its duty, communities had to step in.

“We can’t ignore it. Someone has to do it.”

Di Jones, of the Dolphin Coast Conservancy, which will be creating the garden, said if South Africans sat back and waited for action they might all be waiting a long time. 

“This project is proof that everybody can do something to help, so best not to sit back and write nasty letters or texts. Offer something back to the community in which you live.”