Published: 3 hours ago

Hundreds of recipients of diaspora remittances in Masvingo were left stranded on Monday after Mukuru, Zimbabwe's largest international money transfer agent, temporarily ran out of cash.

Beneficiaries were seen moving between outlets in hopes of accessing their funds, with some expressing frustration over the inconvenience. Many had travelled from surrounding areas such as Morgenster and Zimuto and lacked bus fare or money for food after being unable to collect their remittances.

Maria Zimuto from Zimuto expressed anger, saying, "This is a case of poor management. Whatever excuse they may have, they should have resorted to technology rather than wasting our precious time coming here only to be turned away."

Another customer, Tilda, who intended to withdraw funds sent by her client for construction materials, described the situation as shocking and disappointing. She added, "How can a big company like Mukuru run out of cash like that? They should have at least notified customers beforehand, just as they do for fund transfers."

Mukuru later issued a statement acknowledging a "temporary logistical issue affecting CIT cash disbursements" in Masvingo. The disruption lasted approximately two hours, they said, but service has since resumed. "We apologise for the inconvenience caused to our customers. This was an unforeseen circumstance, and we are taking all necessary steps to ensure it does not happen again," the statement read.

A visit to Mukuru's main outlet at N. Richards Hardware in Masvingo showed that cash disbursement resumed in the evening, with staff working late to serve customers, potentially until 8pm.
- Midweek Watch

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