NSSA’s recent attempt to clean its books and get rid of ghost accounts seems to be backfiring. The company asked pensioners to update their details back in April and May so that it could get rid of ghost accounts and make sure they were paying the right people. Now the company seems to have embarked on a mass account closure exercise which has affected scores of people who were unable to comply with the exercise.

NSSA closed accounts for those with deceased husbands and wives who could not register on time.

We were told we needed to bring our children regardless of where we are coming from. In this COVID-19 pandemic, movement is very difficult. How are people supposed to travel in this environment?
How are we supposed to register, they did not consider the inconveniences of travelling at such a time. NSSA should do outreach programmes so that everyone registers.
They just closed the accounts and said none will get money.
Masvingo Pensioners Forum co-ordinator Charles Gonzi

In its defence, NSSA said the exercise to update details had been running for months before they instituted the closure. They had advertised in various media and even opened up centres to allow people from various corners of the country to register.