RESIDENTS PAY US$ FOR ‘NGO GROCERIES’
. . . collections made in Mufakose, Warren Park
RESIDENTS in Mufakose yesterday paid US$1.70 facilitation fees to register for groceries from a certain non-governmental organisation.
Several people have been going around different suburbs asking residents to pay registration fees to receive groceries from the said NGO.
H-Metro could not ascertain if the people indeed belonged to the said NGO.
Information in H-Metro’s possession reveals that similar collections have been made in Mutare and Warren Park where residents were made to register for groceries.
Two unidentified ladies and one man claiming to be agents of the organisation, took photographs of the registered members that included elderly people promising them grocery vouchers worth US$100 from a local chain store every month.
People queued at House No. 5 Mubonda Street where the trio was hosted by the landlady who circulated news about the groceries in various WhatsApp groups.
One of the organisation’s alleged representatives refused to identify herself to H-Metro before saying Mufakose residents were illiterate and they needed assistance to register online for the free groceries.
More than 400 people were reported to have registered for the promised free grocery vouchers.
“Please just read what the organisation offers online instead of recording my statements because I am also a member who is helping illiterate people here to register to access free groceries every month,” she said.
“We have been taking their money to buy data bundles since the grocery vouchers are given for free every month to registered members.
“People have been receiving such assistance from other organisations in various suburbs but you want to see us failing to access such benefits,” she said.
The landlady refused to identify herself to H-Metro saying she was not part of the three despite allowing them to receive money at her yard.
“There is nothing I am benefiting from these three people but I offered them space since I heard about the free vouchers sometime back in St Mary’s,” she said.
“Ndakawona vanhu vachizadza matrolleys negrocery kupera kwemwedzi waMarch vachiti vaishandisa mavouchers iwayo asi handina kumaona mavouchers acho.
“I believed the three and saw it best to distribute the message on social media about their presence at my house so that people do not have to travel to Warren Park where I heard that some were registering.
“I am yet to enquire from one of the chain stores they claim the vouchers can be used but because of poverty I just trusted the three considering that the amount they are collecting is not much,” she said.
One of the residents questioned the authenticity of the three due to lack of stationery, office and transport for their operations.
“I doubted them by their lack of stationery, an office or even reliable transport.
“They came using kombis; I did not take them seriously,” said the resident.
“Pamangovataudza varamba nemazita avo uye vabva vaenda kuratidza kuti zvavarikuita hazvina kujeka asi vakapusa havaperi munyika saka vazhinji vadyirwa mari vachiti ngatibvisei ishoma,” said the resident.
A number of people recently lost their hard earned money in Epworth to pyramid schemes after being promised to reap more money.