Complaint Regarding Delayed Refund and Resulting Financial Loss

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding an overpayment made during the renewal of my vehicle licence at the Sunninghill West Post Office and the subsequent delay in processing my refund. On 28 July 2026, I visited the Sunninghill West Post Office to renew my vehicle licence. I was requested to pay R1,009.20, which I did. As I was about to leave, the consultant assisting me, Shumani, called me back and informed me that there was an issue with the payment transaction. I explained that the payment had already reflected on my banking application; however, he insisted that I process the payment again. He assured me that if the first payment reflected on the system, I would receive a refund within 24 hours. He also provided me with his contact number and requested that I notify him should both payments be processed successfully. I then made a second payment of R1,009.20 and left with the understanding that any duplicate payment would be refunded promptly. On 29 July 2026, I informed Shumani that both transactions had been processed successfully and requested that the duplicate payment be refunded, as I had debit orders scheduled to be deducted from my account on 31 July 2026. On 30 July 2026, I received an email from Zama Zulu requesting my bank statements. I submitted the requested documents immediately; however, I did not receive any acknowledgement of receipt. On 31 July 2026, I sent a follow-up email requesting that the refund be processed urgently, given my pending debit orders. Once again, I did not receive any response or acknowledgement. On 1 August 2026, a debit order of R599.00 was presented against my account but was returned unpaid due to insufficient funds, resulting in a penalty fee of R130.00 being charged to my account. This financial loss was a direct consequence of the delayed refund. On 3 August 2026, I formally lodged a complaint with Zama Zulu regarding the outstanding refund, but once again received no acknowledgement or update. On 7 August 2026, I contacted the SA Post Office Contact Centre and spoke to *****goe. After I explained the situation, she advised that she would contact Zama Zulu and revert to me. Following her intervention, Zama Zulu informed me that the bank had responded on 5 August 2026 and advised that the refund process would take 7 to 10 working days. To date, I remain uncertain whether the 7 to 10 working days are being counted from 30 July 2026, when I first submitted the required documentation, or from 5 August 2026, when the bank allegedly responded. This uncer*****y is due to the lack of communication and updates from Zama Zulu despite my repeated follow-ups. In addition to the refund of R1,009.20, I request reimbur*****t of the R130.00 penalty fee incurred as a direct result of the delayed refund, as I would not have suffered this financial loss had the refund been processed within the timeframe initially promised.