EcoCash remains Zim’s preferred, convenient payment method

HARARE – EcoCash, Zimbabwe’s leading mobile money service, remains the country’s preferred payment platform due to convenience, efficiency, reliability and wide availability — even in the most remote parts of the country.

This is despite recent restrictive measures imposed on the mobile money systems, leading to EcoCash announcing the abolition of agent lines, restriction of mobile money daily limits to $5 000, the banning of more than one EcoCash line per individual, and the curbing of bulk payments.

“EcoCash is more than a payment platform. It is a way of life for many Zimbabweans — both the rich and the poor,” said Kevin

Moyo (25) a university student, adding that EcoCash should be credited for growing Zimbabwe’s financial services sector.

Simplicity, convenience

“Zimbabweans from all walks of life can now send and receive money not only within Zimbabwe but from other countries across the globe as well. It is an innovation which has not left behind even the elderly in society. The simplicity and convenience of EcoCash make it ubiquitous,” he said.

Following the rural-to-urban migration trends decades ago, most Zimbabweans living and working in urban areas started the tradition of sending money to their parents and relatives in rural areas, using bus drivers and other informal means.

However, the introduction of EcoCash in 2011 improved the money transfer process by making it more efficient, trustworthy and convenient. The sender of money on the EcoCash platform receives an alert which creates trust and assurance that the money has been sent.

The receiver also gets a text alert marking the end of the financial transaction. Both happen within seconds, unlike before where the turnaround time was as long as the bus trip, and the suspense and anxiety could break a business or even personal relationships.

Settling medical bills

Money, like most valuable things in life, is emotive and the promise of sending money can help break or build both a business and personal relationships.

Martin Rukwatura, who works at a medical facility in Kotwa, Mutoko, said EcoCash had given their patients the option to pay bills using their preferred payment method.

“Our major clients are the elderly rural folk who constantly come for medical check-ups, and payments are usually done by their relatives in urban areas using EcoCash. Payments are much easier now because relatives can contribute from different areas in the country,” he said.

The father of three said working in a hospital environment had taught him that medical bills are unbudgeted “as people can get ill anytime, but EcoCash is helping to ease the burden”.

Chenai Gurure, a trader in the farming town of Chinhoyi, said EcoCash was playing an important role in society by helping people in their times of need.

Pooling funds for funerals

“EcoCash has made it very easy for Zimbabweans to fundraise money in different instances, such as paying hospital bills and school fees, among other things, and this is done remotely without the logistics and headache of organizing physical meet-ups,” she said.

“A good number of people here in Chinhoyi have formed WhatsApp groups to raise (or pooling) funds for funeral expenses and raised thousands of dollars using EcoCash in a matter of days, to support their friends and loved ones in dire need.”

Several businesses in Zimbabwe— from large retailers to small scale traders and farmers — also make use of EcoCash to make and receive payments, as well as to settle their bills.

In the past few years, EcoCash has invested millions of dollars in developing a robust and scalable platform and ensure that over 11 million adult Zimbabweans are able to safely transact on the platform, with a recent upgrade implemented just less than a year ago.

A MINE ownership wrangle between a Mudzi widow, Daina Mandiseka Munyoro and Zanu PF politician Danny Musukuma has taken a new twist with lawyers representing the Munyoro family applying for the presiding judge to recuse himself from the matter.

Musukuma, a former Zanu PF director of information, through his company Minerals Identity (Private) Limited made an urgent chamber application compelling the courts to grant him a spoliation order to proceed with operations on the disputed mining claim that is owned by Munyoro and her family.

The matter (HC4276/20) was heard before High Court judge Justice Clement Phiri on Tuesday with the ruling set to be handed down this week.

On Wednesday, Munyoro through her lawyer Kudzaishe Gama of Gama and Partners, asked for Justice Phiri to recuse himself from the matter, arguing that although “parties do not choose their own judges, similarly judges should not choose the matters to adjudicate”.

“In the directions handed down in court, his Lordship indicated that he will hear the chamber application for amendment which the applicant intends to file on August 26 2020,”the lawyers indicated.

“We have noted that the handwritten ruling, Annexure 1 hereto, omits that part of the directions given in court. We, therefore, humbly seek clarification concerning that part of the court’s directions/ruling. Is his Lordship still minded to hear the chamber application himself or he will allow the Judge President or responsible judge to allocate it as usual? If his Lordship is still minded to hear the chamber application, our clients wish to make the following entreaty.

“Our clients hereby humbly request that the matter be allocated to a judge as per the usual practice and procedure.

There are two reasons why we make this request. First, in his earlier ruling handed down in court, his Lordship found that the purported “correction” of the founding affidavit in and by the answering affidavit was “well-conceived” and in order.

"Our clients reasonably believe that this is the same manner in which the chamber application for amendment of the same founding affidavit to correct the same alleged errors will be determined by his Lordship. In other words, his Lordship has already taken and communicated a position on the purported correction of the alleged errors. In our most respectful submission, it is highly unlikely that his Lordship will contradict his earlier ruling.”

Yesterday, Musukuma’s lawyers Chanaiwa Law Chambers, argued that the matter should proceed under Justice Phiri.

“In respect of the urgent chamber application for ammendments of documents directed to be filed on or before August 26, 2020 by his Lordship Justice Phiri, we wish to bring the following to your attention,” the lawyers argued.

“Although it is not captured in the written ruling, his Lordship directed that the matter be heard before him.

“The attached letter from third, fourth, fifth and sixth respondents should suffice as confirmation of his Lordship's direction.

“Kindly proceed to have the matter set before him.”

Musukuma also cited police boss Godwin Matanga, Mines minister Winston Chitando, Munyoro family partner Mathias Madzivanzira, officer-in-charge Support Unit Makosa, Mutoko and one Ndemera as respondents.

In his application filed on August 12, Musukuma said the police forcibly dispossessed him of control of KooDoo 10 mining site. In their opposing papers, the Munyoro family, however, said they were the legal owners of the gold claim and that Musukuma was leading a team of illegal miners.