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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
SCORES of pensioners who receive their allowances through NetOne’s One Wallet system were left stranded in Bulawayo yesterday after the mobile company failed to release their money.

The pensioners, some of whom were coming from as far as Tsholotsho in Matabeleland North and Shangani in Matabeleland South, told The Chronicle that they did not have money to return to their homes due to NetOne’s failure to release their money.

In protest, the pensioners gathered inside the company’s offices vowing not to leave without receiving their monies.

They said they were moved from the People’ Own Savings Bank (POSB) after being promised to receive their money on time. “When I came today NetOne officials kept us in the queue without explaining that they did not have money. After all they are the ones who made us join their One Wallet scheme promising to give us our money on time and when we try to inquire about it no one wants to explain,” said an 81-year-old Cassial Mgomezi.

Smadden Dube from Nyamandlovu said he had no money to return home.

“What am I going to do now? I don’t have bus fare to take me back home.

“We were transferred to NetOne with the promise that our challenges with banks will be over but this is even worse,” said Mr Dube.

His sentiments were echoed by another pensioner who said what was even worse with the One Wallet system was that it did not give another option.

“With POSB we had an option of swiping for goods and get cash back but with One Wallet we do not have this option. We were forced to join this system,” he said.

Some of the elderly people raised health concerns saying they were in queues for a long time without eating.

“I’m diabetic and I’ve been queuing since morning without getting any money. They only gave money to about 20 people and told us that they had run out of cash. We are going to sleep in their offices today,” said Mr Leonard Sibanda.

NetOne spokesperson John Nyashanu could not comment on the issue saying he was yet to investigate the problem.

— @nqotshili