LIKE sheep at a slaughterhouse, a number of elderly individuals in bended posture stand in a meandering queue with agonising patience written all over their wizened faces waiting for their turn to be served at a bank in Bulawayo’s central business district (CBD).
The queue is moving at a slow pace, forcing some of the pensioners to sit, many with their documents in hand in case they may need to prove something to the paying officer.
That they were once able to wake up and work for their families and the country’s economy is quickly lost to the toll that age is exerting on their bodies. And one cannot help but feel pity for them, for sometimes the vagaries of the harsh weather awakens in them certain ailments that will be lurking in the background of their frail bodies.
And yet they cannot afford the luxury of sleeping until sunrise. If they do so it will mean to spend a week in town where their hearts and minds are no longer at ease. They are thinking of their grain, their cattle and their equally old partners back in the village.
They look at the young bank teller who walks past them with a gaiety of a peacock being watched and feel pity for him. They were once like that or even more but time has a way of humbling the proud.
They are forced to queue at banks for an entire day, just to receive their paltry pension payouts that sometimes defy the economics of resources spent, both time and bus fare. But at that age, calculation is far from them. All they want is the money that comes in their name.
These are the elderly people who have worked hard all their life and they may have expected to enjoy their retirement years with their grandchildren gracefully.
“I am now solely dependent on my Nssa (National Social Security Authority) monthly pension of $40 000, and it’s not even enough.
“The money is far less than the value of contributions I made when I was still employed,” said a 75-year-old pensioner, Mr Abel Ndlovu, from Makokoba suburb.
He adds: “I am now relying on donations from neighbours and churchgoers. I have for years depended on handouts from neighbours and well-wishers. My children cannot help either as they are facing their own struggles.”
His story is not unusual in Zimbabwe. It is nothing short of a national tragedy as a number of pensioners are not making it financially to meet their most basic needs.
Ndlovu’s story is also not so different from that of Mr Elliot Mbiri (73), who is also a pensioner under Nssa and also finds himself in the queues.
“I worked hard and contributed towards my retirement savings. It is disheartening that I contributed for 40 years and the company I worked for managed to purchase properties which are being leased today and I’m not fully benefiting from that,” he said.
From the two pensioners’ plight it is clear that pensioners are apparently the “forgotten generation” despite the fact they have worked hard and contributed towards their retirement savings, but now find themselves condemned to a life of abject poverty.
The majority of Zimbabwean pensioners have been condemned to a life of abject poverty, as their life-long pension savings have been rendered insignificant by inflationary pressures and exchange rate volatility and can no longer guarantee them a secure life.
Inflationary pressures in recent years (but especially during the hyperinflation era of 2006-2008) have resulted in pension funds being eroded, which was hardest felt by the country’ pensioners.
While acknowledging the plight of pensioners, Nssa acting general manager, Dr Charles Shava told journalists recently at the launch of the Insurance and Pension Journalists Mentorship Programme 2023 that the current inflationary environment had eroded the purchasing power of people’s incomes and pensioners have also not been spared from the negative phenomena.
The programme is aimed at promoting journalists’ greater understanding of the insurance and pensions industry in Zimbabwe including social protection issues.
Dr Shava said the Authority was embarking on a number of initiatives aimed at improving the welfare and resilience of pensioners.
Of importance to mention is the goat rearing project and the revolving loan facility for income-generating projects by pensioners.
In this regard, some pilot schemes are underway in Bindura and Gwanda.
In a bid to cushion pensioners, Nssa has been regularly reviewing pension levels to cushion pensioners against the effects of inflation.
The Pension and Other Benefits Scheme (POBS) February 2023 minimum retirement pension was $41 496, while the Accident Prevention and Workers’ Compensation Scheme (APWCS) February 2023 minimum worker pension was $55 756,51.
“We have also embarked on a number of initiatives aimed at improving the resilience of our pensioners which include, a revolving fund to assist pensioners and beneficiaries who are interested in embarking on income generating projects, such as goat farming out grower programme that is based in Kwekwe, and a model scheme in Bindura and Gwanda. The programme is meant to complement the payments of pensioners,” said Dr Shava.
Dr Shava said the model will be replicated in all the provinces of the country, with the programme operated by the pensioners for income generation while at the same time working as knowledge transfer schemes for much bigger projects for pensioners with capacity.
He said the goat project aims to enhance the livelihoods of pensioners by complementing pay-outs they receive from the authority.
“Other initiatives include discounted groceries at selected retailers and we recently increased our footprint to other towns across the country, zero bank charges for our pensioners at National Building Society (NBS) and providing suitable housing for grossly disabled pensioners under the Accident Prevention and Workers Compensation Scheme. We have also established a clinic for our pensioners in Harare and work is in progress to establish the same in all regions,” said Dr Shava.
There is no doubt that the move will go a long way in alleviating pensioners’ financial challenges.
Meanwhile, Nssa has indicated plans to implement a self-adjusting mechanism on insurable earnings, a move that is expected to improve the contributions income, thereby allowing the Authority to review benefits pay-outs levels in line with changes in the economy.
Economist, , hailed the life transforming initiatives for retirees, particularly the goat programme saying it would not only complement the payments of pensioners but would also provide the country with foreign currency, while at the same time contributing to national development.
“The initiatives that were announced are quite good and in the sense that they involve both active and passive labour market interventions which are more likely to yield positive results which are in line with international best practices.
“The project will also contribute towards the agricultural sector which is a prime mover of the country’s vision,” said Dr Chitambara. – Sunday News
