The Rondebosch post office closed on Friday July 23 after nearly 25 years at the Riverside Mall.
SA Post Office spokesman Johan Kruger said the lease had expired and the owner of the building had not renewed it. “The Rondebosch post office merged permanently with the Mowbray branch on Thursday July 22,” he said.
All mail with a tracking number, such as registered and Speed Services items, could now be collected from the Mowbray post office, he said.
Employees at the Rondebosch branch would be deployed at other post offices, he said.
Rondebosch resident Richard Benson said it was sad to see the post office go. “What worries me is that this is one of many post offices that is closing,” he said.
Post office customers would now have to drive to Claremont or Mowbray. “Few post offices undermine the economy and social fabric of this country,” he said.
Rondebosch Community Improvement District manager Shirley Adlum said the closure would be hard on the elderly, who tended to be more reliant on postal services.
“It’s sad to see our post offices closing down, as going to the post office to collect a parcel was always so exciting as it was often a meeting place situated in a central area and everyone knew where the post office was.”
Riverside Mall spokeswoman Lorraine Snyman said it was not the mall’s policy to comment on lease agreements with tenants.
Mowbray post office is in St Peter’s Square, Main Road, Observatory. Call 021 447 1205 for any queries.