United Africa Group under fire in Kavango

RUNDU – Some residents in the Kavango Region yesterday strongly appealed to the United Africa Group responsible for paying out pensions to improve their service delivery.

The concern was raised through the NBC Rukavango Radio Service call-in-programme known as’ Mudukuli’ that some senior citizens are spending days at pay points waiting for paymasters to turn up. One caller claimed that the company announced places to visit in order for the pensioners to reach the pay points on time, but they spend days without paymasters turning up and such officials do not inform pensioners about the reasons for the delay.According to another caller, incidents occurred several times in all constituencies of the region and on several occasion such concern was forwarded to the Kavango Regional Council’s office to approach the company for a solution, but the problem is continuing.The caller suggested that if the company was not ready to provide efficient service delivery to senior citizens then the tender should be given to another company.Senior citizens, according to another callers, are sleeping in open spaces at pay points waiting for their monthly allowances.Another caller indicated that pensioners at the villages of Bunya, Siya and Mupini in Kapako Constituency experienced a similar situation last week.Some callers alleged that some employees of the United Africa Group are rude towards senior citizens when pensioners ask them why they are getting their allowances late.United Africa Group Regional Manager Gabriel Simata admitted that the company sometimes experienced problems with vehicle breakdowns on their way to pay points.He said it was difficult to inform the beneficiaries of the delay.He assured pensioners that the company would do its best to reach pay points on time, as the company’s responsibility is to provide quality services to all senior citizens.Simata said the company at times also experienced computer malfunctioning.The manager assured senior citizens who did not receive their monthly allowances last month that his company was re-visiting their pay points this month.-NampaOne caller claimed that the company announced places to visit in order for the pensioners to reach the pay points on time, but they spend days without paymasters turning up and such officials do not inform pensioners about the reasons for the delay.According to another caller, incidents occurred several times in all constituencies of the region and on several occasion such concern was forwarded to the Kavango Regional Council’s office to approach the company for a solution, but the problem is continuing.The caller suggested that if the company was not ready to provide efficient service delivery to senior citizens then the tender should be given to another company.Senior citizens, according to another callers, are sleeping in open spaces at pay points waiting for their monthly allowances.Another caller indicated that pensioners at the villages of Bunya, Siya and Mupini in Kapako Constituency experienced a similar situation last week.Some callers alleged that some employees of the United Africa Group are rude towards senior citizens when pensioners ask them why they are getting their allowances late.United Africa Group Regional Manager Gabriel Simata admitted that the company sometimes experienced problems with vehicle breakdowns on their way to pay points.He said it was difficult to inform the beneficiaries of the delay.He assured pensioners that the company would do its best to reach pay points on time, as the company’s responsibility is to provide quality services to all senior citizens.Simata said the company at times also experienced computer malfunctioning.The manager assured senior citizens who did not receive their monthly allowances last month that his company was re-visiting their pay points this month.-Nampa