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Charity Ruzvidzo Business reporter
SCORES of AfrAsia Bank depositors who have been failing to withdraw their cash are now spending nights in the queue outside the Bulawayo banking hall in order to get served first.
Hundreds of disgruntled account holders from Bulawayo and surrounding provinces in Matabeleland North and South have been failing to get their money from the cash-strapped bank, which has since limited withdrawals to $50 each per day.
Business Chronicle met angry depositors in the queue on Monday night who said they had been failing to get their money for more than a week.
By around 8AM yesterday desperate depositors had swarmed the former Kingdom Bank.
“We’ve been sleeping here since Sunday. We’re allowed to withdraw $50 only per day and from that withdrawal, they charge us $3, so basically one gets $47 per day,” said Similo Sibindi.
“If we sleep here today the possibilities of getting money are slim. One has to spend two days or more in the queue because the number of people who queue is very big and the process is also very slow.”
Another depositor, Samuel Chigumadzi, alleged the security guards at the bank were now demanding bribes in exchange for preferential admittance into the banking hall.
“The security guards give us cards written numbers according to the position one holds in the queue. However even with our cards, we tend to see other people getting in the bank to withdraw money before those who would have slept here,” he fumed.
“Sleeping outside the bank is taking a huge risk because anything can happen at night. Also it’ll be very cold during the night. The bank’s inefficiency is inconveniencing us.”
Another depositor who declined to be named said pregnant women and the elderly were also part of the crowd that sleeps in the queue.
“Pregnant women and old people are also sleeping outside this bank and no special treatment is given to them despite their vulnerable position,” said the depositor.
AfrAsia’s public relations officer Sekai Chitemerere is on record admitting things were not rosy for the bank, which is reeling under liquidity constraints.
The bank’s Bulawayo branch is a major service point after the institution shut down branches in Victoria Falls and Hwange.
Recently, angry depositors broke the front glass door to the bank as they jostled to be served first.
Some of the affected depositors are civil servants including teachers who are forced to abandon classes for days while trying to get their pay.
derick.khumalo