Chronicle Editor
Andile Tshuma, Chronicle correspondent
Gogo Mollitta Mhlanga (74) of Bulawayo’s Njube suburb arrives at CABS at around 7PM with her blanket to sleep in the queue, waiting for the clock to strike 8AM for financial institution to open its doors to the public the following day.
It was on Tuesday night this week, and the bank queue along Fife Street had senior citizens only hoping to get money the following morning.
The people sleeping in bank queues are risking contracting Covid-19 as they spend long hours crammed together.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) social distancing is one of the ways to stop the spread of the virus.
For those sleeping in bank queues, the risk is worsened by the fact that some good Samaritans are sharing blankets with strangers as they help each other get through the cold nights.
Senior citizens who spoke to the news crew said they endure long cold nights as it makes more economic sense to have cash compared to using plastic money, which they said makes goods more expensive and inconvenient due to bank charges. Other dealers offer services and goods at a cheaper price when one pays using cash.
Some said they were from rural areas and local shops did not accept plastic money.
Those in the queue mostly arrive in the Central Business District (CBD) before 8PM as they are afraid to be mugged if they leave home late.
“Things have become worse and now the money that we get does not buy,” said Gogo Mhlanga.
Another bank client, Mrs Sibusiso Ncube from Nketa said after spending the night on the bank queue, they endure the better part of the following day waiting for their turn to be served.
She said they do not get their weekly $300 in one batch; on a particular day they are given $100.
“We spend the entire day without eating anything. They must give us our weekly lumpsum of $300 once instead of having us queue daily for $100 that we may not even get. Right now, we are here, the children are alone at home, it’s not right,” said Mrs Ncube.
Some of the senior citizens said banks were not considering their frail state.
“We are very old. We are frail. Imagine a person of my age coming to the city centre carrying a blanket and sheets of cardboard to come and sleep on the streets like a homeless person.
“Right now, there is a disease which is said to be killing people but here we are sharing a blanket, we don’t know what fate has for us,” said Mr Geshom Ndebele.
Mr Peter Nyathi from Kana Mission at the border of Nkayi and Gokwe said he is a pensioner and is forced to come to town in search of cash.
He said he is discriminated at his rural home as he is excluded from the government’s food aid and drought relief programmes on grounds that he has an income.
“This money that I get does not even buy a 50kg bag of mealie-meal, but representatives in the drought relief committee will say I do not qualify to get a food hand-out because I receive a pension pay-out. It is unfair,” said Mr Nyathi.
Some of the people who spoke to Chronicle said the streets were unsafe at night and they sometimes fall prey to robbers and thieves who take advantage of the situation.
Mrs Sheila Nkiwane said they lose the little they have to the thieves be it cellphones or a few dollars.
Another senior citizen Mr Zenzo Ndlovu (79) from Lupane said he was a former police officer but the life he now leads makes it seem as if he had not planned for retirement.
He said when he was contributing for his pension, he thought he was preparing for a better future but now he was getting a raw deal from banks.
“I am a former police officer staying at Tshongogwe and I came here yesterday only to be given a number but the money got finished before it was my turn to be served.
“Right now, I’m sleeping in the open. I have respiratory problems and at 79 years, I think I should be comfortable in bed now, not sleeping on this street,” he said.
Online Reporter