News / National
Government re-registering all its pensioners
04 Oct 2015 at 08:17hrs | Views
The Civil Service Commission last month commenced an exercise where they are re-issuing certificates of life to all Government pensioners, a move that is expected to rid the system of possible ghost pensioners.
In a telephone interview, Deputy Minister Matangaidze said this was just a routine exercise to update their books on the people they were paying pensions to.
"That is just a routine exercise. There is nothing much to it. We want to ensure that we are paying pension to the right people and whether we don't have any people whose money we are disbursing but they have since passed on," said the Deputy Minister.
In a notice, posted last month, the commission advised all Government pensioners to approach their district offices to complete certificates of life by 30 October, when the exercise will end.
"The Civil Service Commission wishes to advise all those in receipt of pension from the Government of Zimbabwe, that is, State service, war veterans, Zimbabwe Ex Political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees, National Heroes' dependents and death or injury on duty pensions, to go to the nearest district offices to complete certificates of life from 31 August to 30 October.
"The purpose of certificates of life is to certify to Government that those to whom it is paying a pension are still alive and entitled to their pension. Government pensioners are therefore requested to come in person with positive identification in the form of original national identity card or valid passport and copy of the same, certification of copies will be done on submissions of the certificates of life," reads the notice signed by Mrs Pretty Sunguro, the commission's secretary.
Sunday News also visited Milton Junior School where Bulawayo is holding the exercise and found long queues of pensioners waiting to get their certificates of life.
Some pensioners who were interviewed claimed they had been frustrated by the slow pace it was taking to process the certificates.
"I have been here for the past three days but still haven't had my papers processed. Today I had to come here at 3am hoping to be served. I hope they just quicken the process," said Mr Zenzo Ndlovu, a 72-year-old retired teacher.
In a telephone interview, Deputy Minister Matangaidze said this was just a routine exercise to update their books on the people they were paying pensions to.
"That is just a routine exercise. There is nothing much to it. We want to ensure that we are paying pension to the right people and whether we don't have any people whose money we are disbursing but they have since passed on," said the Deputy Minister.
In a notice, posted last month, the commission advised all Government pensioners to approach their district offices to complete certificates of life by 30 October, when the exercise will end.
"The purpose of certificates of life is to certify to Government that those to whom it is paying a pension are still alive and entitled to their pension. Government pensioners are therefore requested to come in person with positive identification in the form of original national identity card or valid passport and copy of the same, certification of copies will be done on submissions of the certificates of life," reads the notice signed by Mrs Pretty Sunguro, the commission's secretary.
Sunday News also visited Milton Junior School where Bulawayo is holding the exercise and found long queues of pensioners waiting to get their certificates of life.
Some pensioners who were interviewed claimed they had been frustrated by the slow pace it was taking to process the certificates.
"I have been here for the past three days but still haven't had my papers processed. Today I had to come here at 3am hoping to be served. I hope they just quicken the process," said Mr Zenzo Ndlovu, a 72-year-old retired teacher.
Source - sundaynews
