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NewsDay

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Omalayitsha fume over advert

Transport
CROSS-BORDER transport operators commonly known as omalayitsha are up in arms with a local financial institution MBCA, accusing it of decampaigning them by advising the public to shun their money transfer services.

CROSS-BORDER transport operators commonly known as omalayitsha are up in arms with a local financial institution MBCA, accusing it of decampaigning them by advising the public to shun their money transfer services.

Report by Nqobile Bhebhe Senior Reporter

Recently, MBCA — which is owned by South Africa-based Nedbank — flighted newspaper advertisements advising the public to transfer money using registered money transfer agents and banks.

Part of the advert published in Ndebele reads: “Lingathumeli imali ngabo malayitsha (Don’t send your money using omalayitsha).”

NewsDay heard that scores of omalayitsha met at Park Station in South Africa last Friday to map the way forward following the advertising campaign which they said discredits them.

“We found the advert by the bank as very unprofessional,” said Thamsanqa Ndimande, who has been a cross-border transport operator for several years.

“We have been in this business for a long time serving the community without any major problems and all of a sudden some people (bank) are attempting to discredit us.

“Therefore, we resolved last Friday to approach whoever is responsible soon and let them know of our displeasure.” Efforts to get a comment from MBCA officials were fruitless as they had not responded to questions posed to them by the time of going to print.

Over the years, omalayitsha have recorded brisk business ferrying money and goods between South Africa and Zimbabwe, particularly in Matabeleland region.

A study by a South African rights group last year revealed that Zimbabweans in South Africa were sending home up to $900 million annually.

The study revealed that of an estimated three million Zimbabweans, 90% sent money home regularly, sending an average of a third of their incomes. Remittances have for long been the backbone of the Zimbabwean economy, observers have said.

Ndimande’s counterpart, Nkosiyazi Moyo said their services were “more direct to the recipients” in that they have door-to-door services, including to remote parts of the country where there are no financial institutions.

“If the bank or whoever is discrediting us can deliver cash to koMavava in Tsholotsho then it’s OK . . . but they should know that we are all in business.

“They should be more innovative than employ these dirty tactics,” fumed Moyo.