Times Of Swaziland: E15 000 STOKVEL CASH UP IN SMOKE AT SPINTEX

E15 000 STOKVEL CASH UP IN SMOKE AT SPINTEX
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 BY SIBUSISO ZWANE on 06/12/2017 03:37:00


MANZINI – It was a double blow for some Spintex Swaziland workers as they will
have a black Christmas after their E15 000 stokvel cash was reduced to ashes.
This took place when the factory was gutted by a mysterious fire that caused
over E200 million estimated damages on Monday morning.
A stokvel is a traditional savings scheme in which members contribute a fixed
amount of money to a common pool weekly, fortnightly or monthly. Members would
receive the lump sum on a rotational basis, and they are free to use the money
for any purpose.
A source close to the matter said the stokvel did not have many members because
most of the employees relied on a saving scheme provided by the company.
He said the executive members of the stokvel had counted the money the previous
day, one of them  decided to hide it in his department because he feared that it
could be stolen in the lockers.
“Unfortunately, the executive member  works in the department that was gutted
by the mysterious fire on Monday morning,” the source said.
He said when the fire started, the executive member was in the factory and he
tried to rush inside to retrieve the money but was prevented by the blaze which
covered the department.
The source said some members of the stokvel witnessed the incident while others
were notified about the sad news via their WhatsApp group.
He said after the Fire and Emergency Services  personnel had successfully put
out the fire, the executive member went into the department with the police and
it was hard to even recognise the bottles of mayonnaise which kept the cash.
It was gathered that the members of the stokvel were supposed to share the money
before they close for Christmas holidays.
The source said the executive member of the stokvel recorded a statement with
the police, to avoid any possible distrust between him and the other members.