SAPO business rescue practitioners say they have not yet filed any documents for liquidation with any court.
Image: Bhekikhaya Mabaso / Independent Newspapers
The future of the South African Post Office (SAPO) hangs in the balance after the business rescue practitioners (BRPs) announced plans to seek the liquidation of the beleaguered state-owned enterprise.
BRPs Anoosh Rooplal and Juanito Damons notified Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi on Friday about their intention to apply for liquidation of the entity.
The news was shared by Deputy Minister Mondli Gungubele during the meeting of the Communications and Digital Technologies Portfolio Committee, as Malatsi was requesting the postponement of the presentation of SAPO’s future sustainability strategy and BRP exit timelines.
The department is currently engaging the National Treasury regarding the R700 million in the Special Appropriations allocated to it by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana when he tabled the 2026 Budget last month.
Malatsi confirmed receiving the letter that was sent before the start of the afternoon meeting.
“I can’t express a view as I have not read and studied it. It has just been shared with me after the deputy minister shared with us,” said Malatsi.
The letter brought confusion among the MPs as to whether the meeting should proceed, given the intention to apply for liquidation.
“It appears this letter was circulated in the last hour. Is it appropriate to get a briefing unless the minister has sight of it?” asked ANC MP Shaik Imraan Subrathie.
DA MP Tsholofelo Bodlani condemned the conduct of the BRPs, describing it as a “total disregard for the processes” and suggested that a phone call to Malatsi would have been prudent.
EFF MP Sixolise Gcilishe echoed these sentiments, asserting that the BRPs should have made a concerted effort to ensure the minister was informed ahead of the meeting. “The way they went about it is suspicious,” Gcilishe said.
While MK Party MP Sihle Ngubane called for the presentation to proceed, Bodlani insisted that the urgency of the liquidation issue took precedence.
“There is an urgent need for the minister to be appraised on the decision of liquidation,” she said.
In response, Rooplal defended the BRPs’ actions, stating that previous correspondence had addressed SAPO's financial challenges and stated there was no budget allocation in the 2026 Budget.
“As we sit as BRPs, our obligations are spelled out in the Company Act and in particular chapter six, which compels us to act and do certain things in the broader interest of affected persons.”
Roopal said they had anticipated R3.8 billion to support the business rescue plan, a figure that has been delayed for about 18 months.
While they have not yet filed any documents for liquidation with any court, the letter to Malatsi serves as a formal warning regarding SAPO's precarious position.
Damons said it would help to address the issues contained in their letter and draft court papers.
Roopal insisted that they were merely following a due process and that was why they had asked through Malatsi that Friday’s meeting be postponed.
“Time is not our side. The critical issue is funding,” he said.
Director-general Nonkqubela Jordan-Dyan confirmed that the department has reached out to the National Treasury regarding a R700 million special allocation that may provide some relief.
“We are trying to facilitate an urgent meeting with the minister of finance but have yet to receive feedback in this regard,” she said.
Malatsi said it was prudent to wait for the National Treasury to come with a response.
“It is my view that any talk of liquidation at this stage is premature, given these extensive ongoing conversations within government, particularly between the department and National Treasury, regarding the prevailing situation at the South African Post Office.
“These engagements are focused on finding a way forward that balances the urgency of the Post Office’s situation, the welfare of staff, and the responsible use of limited public funds in the best interests of the country,” he said after the meeting.
Committee Chairperson Khusela Sangoni-Diko urged the department to develop a comprehensive plan that would ensure SAPO's survival, emphasising the need for strategic partnerships and sustainable financial models.
“Let us not surprise one another. I am assuming we are all pulling in the same direction to try and avert what would seriously be catastrophic,” she said.
mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za