Dear Editor,
I am appalled at the treatment being meted out to the NIS pensioners in Kwakwani. The pension voucher books for the second half of this year were printed with an error, and the November pension will not be paid until December. This error was acknowledged by NIS and a promise was made that it would be corrected before November. Low and behold, when these pensioners turned up at the Post Office, they were all turned back because of the mistake identified and acknowledged by NIS.
Now to add insult to this injury, pensioners from Kwakwani have been asked to visit the nearest NIS office to cash the voucher.
The nearest NIS office is in Linden, a journey of over sixty-four miles costing $4200 return.
Editor, just imagine a pensioner receiving $12,000, paying $4200 for passage and $1000 for a meal, since going to Linden will take the whole day and they will have to eat something. What will remain to take these pensioners through the month?
It is a heartless to even think of a decision that will impact so negatively on those persons who have toiled so hard in their younger years and contributed to ensure that their retirement days can at least be somewhat comfortable.
NIS should publicly apologise for this blunder and find a way to ensure these pensioners are paid in Kwakwani without having to use their already meagre pension on transportation.
Your faithfully,
Jocelyn Morian