Botswana to have national postal code

KOPANO OLESITSE
Correspondent | Thursday September 17, 2009 00:00

 

The Marketing and Communications Manager for BotswanaPost, Keoagile Rafifing, told Mmegi in a telephone interview yesterday that the system will be launched by the Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology. 

'We have a steering committee for the purpose,' Rafifing said. 'In Botswana, we do not have a zip code that enables quick identification of addresses.'

This means that in case of emergencies, it is difficult to be located because the physical address has to be provided by the person seeking assistance.

But with a national postal code and address system, all details of people are entered in the system and delivery of mail becomes more effective because of the physical address.

The system is in place in all developed countries and certain developing countries like South Africa. 'The national postal code and address system will help the country in physical planning as the physical locations will be zoned,' Rafifing said.

'The system will also help us with population censuses because we will readily have details of most residents of the country.

For ambulances, all that will be needed is the sick person's code and the other details such as street number and location as all this information will be retrieved systematically under the national code system.'

A benchmarking workshop with the South African Postal Services was to be held this week because the system has proved to be very effective in that country.  'This project is in with BotswanaPost's aim of improving service delivery,' said Rafifing.