Convenience Golden Years, Zimpost & POSB Join Forces

By Shingirai Vambe

Life made easier for the elderly seen every mid-month after traveling kilometers of rural roads, joining long queues early mornings at the POSB Bank to collect/withdraw their pensions.

The bank has partnered with the Zimbabwe Posts (Private) Limited, trading as Zimpost previously known as the Post Office, a company which was born from the unbundling of the Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (PTC).

The partnership is expected to reduce pressure and serve those from the rural and marginalized places of the country Zimbabwe.

Zimpost has over 160 centers across the country and POSB bank clients are now able to deposit and make withdrawals from any Zimpost facility in their areas of the country’s 10 provinces.

This development came at a time when most pensioners bemoaned the amount of money they collect monthly against their bus fare and time.

Majority of the rural folks still face transport network challenges in Zimbabwe due to poor road network, they are forced to travel in the early hours or midnight if the available mode of transport is only one or limited to connecting routes into different service towns, a familiar case in each and province of the country.

The elderly, majority of them being over 70 years struggle to access services, including medical treatments which has resulted in the introduction of mobile clinics by the National Social Security Authority (NSSA).

The introduction of such services at the door steps of senior citizens has resulted in the reduction of losses, for both citizens and organizations.

However there are still gaps with some areas of the country which are inaccessible, limited information cascaded to the public, creating a loophole for loss and collection of pensions fund by ghost members.

NSSA Acting General Manager, Charles Shava told Journalists that his organization is now going door to door around the country to assist pensioners with physical disabilities as well as issuing members certificate, so as to getting rid of ghost members.

The President, Emmerson Mnangagwa’s mantra is living no place and no one behind, The Insurance and Pensions Commissions (IPEC) commissioner, Grace Muradzikwa made a clarion call, for information relating to pensions and insurance to be disseminated across the country, using the 16 official languages.

Zimpost known for envelops and stamps, is moving with time, digitalizing its services, through its partnership with the Postal and Telecommunication regulatory Authority (POTRAZ) equipping Communication Information Centers (CICs) with digital equipment, for those in marginalized places to access information.

Zimpost is improving its service delivery in the country, from the day of establishment in the country, in 1890, today the organization is offering over 17 service which include Business Reply Service (BRS), post pack packaging, franking machines, post cargo and courier connect services to mention just a few.

The bank is urging all its clients and members of the public to make use of the banking services made available at every Zimpost station in the country.