29.     Registration of postal articles

            (1) The sender of any postal article may, upon payment of the prescribed fee in addition to the ordinary postage, have that article registered and obtain a receipt for it; but no such registration or receipt shall confer on any person any right to compensation or impose upon any officer any liability for the loss of any such article or of the contents thereof:

            Provided that the Director General may in an appropriate case, in his discretion pay compensation for the loss of any registered postal article or of the contents thereof.

            (2) Any postal article containing coin, bank notes, stamps, precious metals, precious stones or other articles of a like nature which have an intrinsic or marketable value shall be registered and if not so registered shall be liable on delivery to a charge equal to double the amount of any deficiency between the postage paid and the correct charge had the article been registered at the time of posting. No compensation shall be paid or payable in respect of the loss of any postal article, required to be registered under this subsection, but which is not so registered at the time of posting.

30.     When postal articles deemed to be in course of transmission or to be posted or delivered

            For the purposes of this Act-

     (a)     a postal article shall be deemed to be in course of transmission by post from the time of its being delivered to a post office to the time of its being delivered to the person to whom it is addressed;

     (b)     the placing of a postal article in a pillar box or other receptacle provided or the purpose by or with the approval of the Post, or the delivery of a postal article to an officer or other person authorized by the Director General to receive postal articles of that description, shall be deemed to be delivery to a post office;

     (c)     the delivery of a postal article at the house or office of the person to whom the article is addressed or to his servant or agent or other responsible person or at the address specified on such article shall be deemed to be delivery to the person addressed; and

     (d)     delivery into a private box or private bag shall be deemed to be personal delivery to the addressee.

31.     Redirection and interception of postal articles

            (1) The redirection of any unopened postal article (other than a parcel) from one place to another may be effected free of charge provided the new address has been fully prepaid, but registered articles redirected by the public shall be subject in each case to a further fee for registration.

            (2) Any redirected article which appears to the Director General to have been opened or tampered with shall be treated as if it were posted for the first time and shall be chargeable accordingly.

            (3) Any article arrested or intercepted in transit through the post-

     (a)     at the request of either the sender or the addressee thereof, shall be liable to an additional charge equal to the ordinary rate of postage from the place of the original address to the place of the new address and any article which under the provisions of this Act may be returned to the sender thereof shall if reposted be liable again to postage;

     (b)     for delivery to the sender or addressee at the office in which stoppage is effected, shall be liable to such special fee as may be prescribed.

            (4) Nothing contained in subsection (3) shall require the Director General to arrest or intercept any postal article.

32.     Articles deemed to be posted in contravention of Act

            A postal article received in a post office shall be deemed to have been posted in contravention of this Act if-

     (a)     the postage stamps thereon have been previously used, obliterated or defaced;

     (b)     any blasphemous, indecent, obscene, offensive or libellous matter appears on the outside thereof or any indecent or obscene matter is enclosed therein; or

     (c)     it is posted or contains anything in fraud of or contrary to the provisions of this Act or any other law.

33.     Articles to be sent by postmasters to Returned Letter Office for disposal

            Any postal article which is-

     (a)     without address or bears an illegible address or is otherwise undeliverable;

     (b)     refused by the person to whom it is addressed; or

     (c)     posted or reasonably suspected to have been posted in contravention of this Act or any other law,

shall be sent to the Returned Letter Office of Botswana and dealt with as may be prescribed:

            Provided that any article referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) which bears on the outside thereof the name and address of the sender may be returned to him.

34.     Articles other than letters may be opened for examination

            (1) Any postal article, other than a letter, may be opened for examination in order to ascertain whether or not that article is entitled to transmission at the rate of postage prepaid thereon or has been posted in contravention of this Act.

            (2) The decision of the Director General as to whether or not any postal article is a letter or any description of postal article shall be final.

35.     Treatment of unclaimed letters in Returned Letter Office

            Any postal article originally posted within Botswana which is sent to the Returned Letter Office in accordance with section 33, or which is undelivered, shall be opened by an officer authorized by the Director General for that purpose and shall, unless it contains any valuable or saleable enclosure or has in the opinion of the Director General been posted in contravention of this Act or with intent to evade payment of the postage properly chargeable thereon, be returned to the sender thereof if his name and address are known, and may, if the sender refuses to receive it or if his name and address are not known, be sold or destroyed.

36.     Unclaimed articles of value and articles posted in contravention of Act

            (1) Any postal article opened under the provisions of this Act which contains any valuable or saleable enclosure shall be safely kept and a record thereof and of its contents shall be made and preserved.

            (2) The Director General shall, unless any such postal article or the contents thereof have in his opinion been posted in contravention of this Act or with intent to evade payment of the postage properly chargeable thereon, cause notice of his possession of that article and of the contents thereof to be sent to the person to whom it is addressed or, if he cannot be found, to the sender thereof if he can be found.

            (3) The Director General shall, upon application by the person to whom the notice has been sent, cause such postal article and its contents to be delivered to such person upon payment of all charges due thereon.

            (4) If no application under subsection (3) is made within 3 months after the sending of a notice under subsection (2), or if the postal article in question or the contents thereof has in the opinion of the Director General been posted in contravention of this Act or with intent to evade payment of any charge properly payable thereon, such article and its contents shall (without affecting the liability to any penalty or punishment to which the sender may be subject), be destroyed, sold or otherwise disposed of as the Director General may direct.

            (5) The proceeds of the sale of any postal article or the contents thereof, as well as any such contents consisting of money or any order or security for money, shall be paid into and form part of the postal revenue.

            (6) Any such order or security for money shall for the purpose of procuring payment be deemed to be the property of the Director General.

37.     Sender of undelivered article liable for all charges due

            (1) The sender of an undelivered postal article shall on demand pay all charges due thereon, and shall, in the event of his refusal to pay such charges, be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of P10,00.

            (2) This section shall not be construed as releasing the person to whom a postal article is originally addressed from liability to pay the charges due thereon if such a postal article is delivered to him.

38.     Delay, return to sender or delivery to other than addressee of article prohibited

            Save as expressly provided in this Act, no postal article shall be delayed in transmission or returned to the sender or be delivered to any person not named in the address thereof except with the consent in writing of the addressee or on the special authority of the Director General.

39.     Undelivered articles of no value and newspapers may be destroyed

            Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in section 35 or 38 an undelivered postal article, which appears to be of no appreciable value or importance, and an undelivered newspaper may, after retention for the period prescribed, be sold, destroyed or otherwise disposed of as the Director General may direct.

40.     Articles addressed to insolvent person

            When the estate of any person has been sequestrated by a competent court in Botswana, the Director General shall cause all postal articles addressed to such person to be delivered to the trustee in such insolvent estate or, if no trustee has been appointed, to the Master of the High Court.

41.     Articles addressed to deceased person

            Postal articles addressed to a deceased person may be delivered to the executor or administrator of such deceased person on the production of letters of administration or, pending production of letters of administration, at the address indicated thereon.

42.     Articles addressed to persons conducting lottery or dealing in indecent or obscene matter

            When the Director General is satisfied by any advertisement, letter, circular or other documentary evidence that any person is conducting or assisting as agent or otherwise in conducting an illegal lottery, or is dealing in indecent or obscene matter, and is using the services of the Post for the purpose thereof, the Director General may detain or delay all postal articles addressed to such person or his agent or representative without the name of any person appearing thereon, and all such postal articles may be opened and returned to the senders thereof or otherwise disposed of as the Director General may deem fit.