The Postal Services is probably one of the oldest public services in Botswana, having been established in 1875 by the London Missionary Society. In those days, pairs of 'runners' carried mail between various points on a stretch from Bulawayo up to Mafikeng. Historical records indicate that these runners (men on foot) carried up to 15542 postal items of mail per annum. Subsequently, the post used the train and road transport contractors to deliver mail until the late 1990's when the Post acquired its own fleet of delivery vehicles and continued to expand the mail delivery network.