The first phase of a project to rehabilitate the Chatsworth Post Office, spearheaded by the Human Rights Activist Forum (HRAF) in partnership with the We Feed SA team, has successfully commenced.
HRAF members Rocky Naidoo, Lavinia Moodley, Quenton Chetty, and Suran Gounden recently led a clean-up operation at the site with the We Feed SA team. Their efforts have transformed the post office from an ‘abandoned and desolate site’ to one that is now active with foot traffic.
Gounden said there is still more work to be done before the post office becomes fully operational.
He said: “The team has trimmed overgrown vegetation around the property, removed accumulated garbage, cleared broken glass that once formed the building’s windows, and unblocked the stormwater drains. The next phase involves securing the property perimeter, which has multiple access points, allowing thieves to enter from any direction. This must be done before further work can continue, to prevent additional theft. Once the access points are secured, we will focus on restoring water and electricity to the premises so basic post office services can resume.”
Moodley highlighted the negative impact theft has had on the post office’s operations.
“On Thursday, 19 September, before the clean-up began, thieves stole roof sheeting from the building. As a result, rainwater entered the mail room while staff were sorting mail, forcing them to take steps to protect the mail and other important documents. We now have two security guards on duty during the day and night shifts to prevent further theft,” she explained.
Naidoo commended the post office staff for their dedication and collaboration in the clean-up efforts.
Louise Brugman, a representative of the South African Post Office (SAPO), expressed full support for the organisations involved in restoring the Chatsworth Post Office.
She said: “The Chatsworth Post Office has been vandalised several times, with the building stripped of metals, electrical cables, and other saleable items. In recent months, the situation has worsened. While security guards have been deployed, they have not been effective in securing the site.
“Repeated vandalism at the Chatsworth mail depot has been reported to SAPO’s Security and Investigation and Properties teams. Recommendations for security measures have been made, which are currently being vetted by SAPO’s procurement team.”
She also noted that community activation groups introduced SAPO to We Feed SA, which has been assisting by engaging with community structures, patrolling the area, preventing further damage, cleaning the property, and seeking sponsorships to fix the boundary fences.
She continued: “The forum’s goals align with SAPO’s objective of delivering services to communities. SAPO is working hard to stop the damages and restore the branch through a Public-Private Partnership. We support the forum’s efforts and hope that SAPO’s procurement team will soon approve the necessary security measures so we can begin rehabilitating and securing the post office.”
HRAF member and owner of SAPS 911 Security, Quenton Chetty, has been providing security for the team during the project and conducting random patrols at the post office.
In the meantime, post office operations have been temporarily moved to Montclair. The Durmail Mail Centre has been optimised to accommodate the mail depots from both Chatsworth and Montclair. The relocation is expected to take place before the end of this month, and the team on-site will deliver mail to the Chatsworth and Malvern communities, while maintaining a mail collection point at the post office.
