122-year-old Zimbabwean finally gets funeral cover

South Africa-based Zimbabwean funeral services company Zororo-Phumulani has stepped in to support 122-year-old uMkhulu Anulois Banda after the centenarian's application for funeral cover was rejected by four insurance firms in both Zimbabwe and South Africa due to his advanced age.

In a compassionate move, Zororo-Phumulani has not only registered uKhulu Banda on its client portfolio free of charge but also pledged to buy him a wheelchair and provide monthly groceries starting at the end of this month. The company, which has long positioned itself as a caring partner during both life and death, said it was moved by Sekuru Banda's story.

"As Zororo-Phumulani, we are not only there to chip in during death but we also do the same in life. We will celebrate the centenarian every day," said the company's Executive Marketing Manager, Tendai Mangot. "For now, we will buy him a wheelchair and we will also buy him groceries every month."

uKhulu Banda, believed to be potentially the oldest living man in the world today, was born on December 12, 1903, in Tukuyu, a town on the border of Malawi and Tanzania, according to his identity documents. If his age is officially verified, he could surpass the current record-holder Jeanne Louise Calment of France, who died in 1997 at the age of 122 years and 164 days.

uKhulu Banda moved to then-Rhodesia in the 1920s and has lived through monumental historical events including colonial rule, both World Wars, and global pandemics. Despite his remarkable lifespan, his family revealed last week that they had been unsuccessful in securing funeral insurance for him.

His daughter-in-law, Mrs. Judith Maphosa, said two funeral policy companies in South Africa and two more in Zimbabwe turned down their application, citing his old age and labeling him a "high-risk" client.

"My daughter in South Africa tried to register uKhulu with two Zimbabwean-run funeral policy companies there. They said, ‘he's too old, he might die anytime,'" said Mrs. Maphosa. "Just like that. Cold and clinical."

Frustrated but undeterred, the family continued to seek assistance before Zororo-Phumulani came forward.

"uKhulu Banda's family is deeply grateful to Zororo-Phumulani for their selfless offer to help him secure funeral cover," Mrs. Maphosa said. "We're relieved and thankful for their kindness and support during this challenging time."

The move by Zororo-Phumulani has been widely praised as an example of corporate social responsibility and human compassion, particularly in a world where centenarians are often overlooked or treated with indifference by financial service providers.

As uKhulu Banda continues to enjoy the twilight of his extraordinary life, his story serves as both an inspiration and a sobering reminder of the importance of dignity and care for the elderly - not only in death but also in life.