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Mhuka (PM) about his election, immediate plans for the association, and his firm.
PM: What are your immediate plans after being elected president of Zafa?
EG: My immediate plans are many but achievable. I intend to make sure that as funeral assurers we are much more united in order for us to be able to provide professional services to the nation. This will enable Zafa to become a force to reckon with in Zimbabwe.
We need to speak with one voice. As an association, I will work with my other colleagues to make sure that Zafa begins to speak with one voice for the purpose of professionalism and bringing sanity to the industry.
I intend to ensure we follow our constitution and the market agreement. It is my priority to make sure that all members begin to respect our own documents which we crafted and were endorsed by the Commissioner of Insurance.
As an association we want to work hand-in-hand with other associations in order for us to exchange ideas with such organisations as the Life Officers Association.
As an association, we are planning to have a database of all the agents. This will help our members not to recruit bogus agents who would have performed some crimes in the industry.
For us as Zafa to be more effective, we have plans of setting up a full administration to run the organisation’s activities before the end of the first quarter of this year.
I would also want to see Zafa as an association providing social services to the nation.
PM: We have heard that there are proposals to form a funeral reinsurance company.
EG: It is also part of the plans. It is high time Zafa begins to think of even looking at opening a funeral reinsurance company which will take care of some of the risks attached to the funeral business. As funeral assurers, our business is slightly unique due to the way our claims are settled hence this new idea. We will also prescribe the rules and regulations which will work well with our industry.
I will also make sure that, effective sub- committees are created within Zafa. There will be a finance and administration, disciplinary and marketing committees to take care of the close monitoring of the association’s operations and providing advice in their respective areas of specialty. These sub-committees will be reporting to the executive committee.
Yes, we compete as individual companies, but I feel we need to complement each other and make sure that the nation gets professional services from our members.
We will also come up with our training programmes for the funeral industry where our members will be trained in order to reduce misrepresentation in the market. As a way of sustaining our association, these training programmes will be paid for.
As a way of making sure that we demystify funeral in the market, it is vital that as funeral assurers we should have exhibitions where we showcase our products.
Going forward, we also intend to establish a Zafa Sports League were we will have our own competition in all sporting disciplines
We are also planning to have a Zafa magazine. This magazine will have any information relating to the industry and services provided by our members. It will also cover all sporting activities in our industry.
PM: Tell us about Ruvimbo Funeral Assurance, when did it start and what plans do you have for the company?
EG: Ruvimbo Funeral Assurance (Pvt) Ltd is a Zimbabwean company registered under the Companies Act. Ruvimbo opened its doors on March 1, 2009. The company’s vision is to be a market leader in the near future and expand our wings in the region as we expand our branch network nationwide.
PM: What is your view with regards to the funeral assurance industry in Zimbabwe?
EG: Our market penetration is very low. As funeral assurers I feel we need to come up with products that take care of every person in Zimbabwe. Funeral assurance business needs people with passion. It is very important for funeral assurance companies to work with one objective of giving professional services to the nation. The business can actually grow if and only if all assurance companies speak with one voice and get maximum support from the Government. It is also very important for funeral assurance companies to work as partners with Government for the purpose of stabilising our economy and the market.
Funeral insurance business has become the most sought after product on the Zimbabwean market. It has overtaken all conventional policies such as endowment, whole life and pension products.
Virtually all life offices are underwriting this product and banks have also formed partnerships with life office in this business. The demand for this business has seen a lot of innovations in product-modelling resulting in wide range of services offered by different companies.
Competition has greatly improved the quality of service as companies grapple for a limited market. There is an untapped market for this product in the rural and farming populace although most companies tend to concentrate their marketing in towns and cities.
PM: What challenges have funeral assurance companies been facing in Zimbabwe and what do you think should be done to address the problems?
EG: Due to the challenges in our economy, our clients have been facing difficulties in paying premiums. The rural and farming communities still cannot afford to pay the premiums.
The populace is prioritising bread and butter issues because of low incomes. As an industry we have been facing challenges of fraudulent claims where fake burial orders and death certificates are used to make claims.
High prices of equipment such as motor vehicles, lowering machines and impassable rural roads which make it impossible to take bodies to their final destination is another challenge.
We should have policies which take care of different sectors if we are to address these challenges. We would be grateful if Government helps us on all the imports of funeral vehicles and equipment by removing duty.
PM: Who else make up the new leadership at Zafa?
EG: There is Talent Maziwisa from Doves Funeral Assurance (vice president) and second vice president Mr Blazio Chaka of Sunset Funeral Assurance.
PM: As an individual what inspires and motivates you?
EG: I am motivated by the vision which I had when I founded Ruvimbo Funeral Assurance.
I am motivated by the passion which I have for the industry. I am also motivated by my family who have always been so supportive even during difficult times.
Above all, I am inspired by the word of God, day in day out.
PM: Tell us about your family?
EG: I was born in a family of six. Three boys and three girls and I am the third born. I am happily married to Gillian Gomba (nee Majoni). I am blessed with three children.
PM: What advice would you give to someone who does not have or does not believe in funeral assurances?
EG: It is vital for everyone to understand that one day we will all die, hence the need to take a funeral policy.
Death is not by choice but by God’s design. Funeral assurance helps most of the people when they do not have any money for such an unfortunate eventuality.
Funeral assurance also helps to give your loved ones decent burials at any time whether you have cash or not during that moment of bereavement. It’s cheaper to bury a person using a policy than cash.
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