BOGOGO SENT ON ‘WILD GOOSE CHASE’

MBABANE – A breakdown in communication saw the elderly being soaked by rain last week Friday as they went to the Mbabane Post Office to collect their monthly E400 grants, only to be turned back. 

The Swaziland Post and Telecommunications Corporation (SPTC) premises were littered with elderly citizens who were anticipating receiving their monthly grants. Upon arrival at the post office’s premises, the mood said it all as the elderly were in different groups along the corridors sharing their disbelief at government’s incompetence. “On Wednesday, bucopho told me to visit the post office to fetch my grant, I was unaware that government had not deposited the money,” said one elderly person from Jubukweni. A majority of the elderly said they were unaware of the sudden changes and they would not have bothered themselves had  they been told of these changes on time. Some were of the view that the recent changes implemented by government, that of having the elderly receive their grants monthly, was a mistake and one which was costing them.

“Why did they introduce this new method because it is clear that they are failing to pay us on a consistent basis?” vented another. There was division as some called for the reinstating of the previous payment method, which saw them receive their grants after every four months. There was one particular recipient who was almost in tears as she narrated how she had borrowed money with the promise to pay it back on Friday, until she met the dilemma. A fraction of the elderly, particularly those looking after the physically challenged, elected to stay at the post office with the hope that positive information would soon surface. This dissatisfaction came with a number of reactions but the most prominent was that of the Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini’s estimated E3.5 million house.  Many were not hesitant to blame this hiccup on the premier’s proposed ‘lidlokolo’. They argued that the money should be used to pay their grants instead.

“Why does the premier keep demanding millions for his house? His actions have left us in this predicament, is he happy to see us suffer like this?” said one angry gogo. Others pointed out that this was an insult to the elderly because they no longer engaged in active employment, with only a fraction dependent on part-time jobs, which usually came at irregular intervals. It is public knowledge that, over the years, the government has not had the greatest track record when it came to forking out elderly grants. Msunduza bucopho, under Mbabane East, Zweli Mthethwa, said the announcement by government came at the eleventh hour and with the heavy rains received last Thursday, it was an impossible task to disperse the information to everyone on time. He was clear in pointing out that government’s failure to engage them on time had become a norm. Since he is the one who organises men who conduct door-to-door visits to the elderly, informing them when they were due to receive their grants, Mthethwa was now facing the wrath of the elderly.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: