People should access their pensions early

EDITOR — I think financial benefits held by pension funds until one attains the age of 55 are being held at the expense of the pensioners.

If one loses their job at 48, they must be able to enjoy their full pension.

That is to say both their own contribution and the company contribution must be made available.

There is no logic in letting a person die in poverty when they can access the pension to ameliorate their respective situations.

Some actually die in poverty as they await attainment of the age of 55.

Fact of the matter is, pension funds have taken advantage of the situation in Zimbabwe.

NSSA has for a long time been investing in top market properties and banks yet the money belongs to the poor employees who cannot afford housing.

The National Building Society is too little too late. Old Mutual, Fidelity, Zimnat, ZB and First Mutual Life Assurance have all been hitting the poor badly.

Employees have not been able to access a cent from these entities yet it is their money that built these empires.

The real beneficiaries have been the elite, some of whom occupy plush offices in Sandton, South Africa or London, United Kingdom.

I therefore tend to agree with your sentiments that a person who has attained the age of say 45 years and is no longer employed should at least access a substantial amount of their pension, if not all of it.

Why should such a person die a pauper when they have such a resource?

This is more so when one considers that life expectancy hovers around 45 years.

Development Proponent, Harare.