Africa-Press – Botswana. Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund has been commended for its active role in bringing services closer to the people and educating the public about their products.
During a life support benefit workshop held at Cresta Hotel in Mahalapye, Kgosi Sipho Nchingane of Mahalapye, assistant to Kgosi Tshipe Tshipe, praised MVA Fund for hosting the workshop in Mahalapye. He highlighted how such workshops increased awareness of MVA Fund’s products and services while making them more accessible to the public.
Kgosi Nchingane noted that MVA Fund was effectively educating and sensitising people about road accidents, urging all to pay attention to their message.
Branch manager of MVA Fund, Mr Mmoloki Dikago, emphasised the importance of familiarising Batswana with the full range of products and services provided by the fund. He expressed a commitment to not only life support but also various other offerings.
Mr Dikago underscored the necessity of educating Batswana further about MVA Fund’s services. He mentioned the workshop’s goal of showcasing both successes and challenges faced to collectively find solutions and better serve clients.
Ms Buyani Chidoda, the Case Manager, highlighted her department’s role in assisting those affected by motor vehicle accidents or left behind by deceased individuals, ensuring swift recovery.
She raised concerns about potential misappropriation of funds by claimants, emphasizing the need for responsible use to avoid legal repercussions like incarceration. Ms Chidoda specifically mentioned cases where funds intended for vulnerable dependents, such as children, were misused, condemning such actions as both morally wrong and criminal.
The Case manager explained that even though the fund might not only be given in monetary terms some even swindled MVA Fund by providing them with misleading information and that is also considered as fraud so they have auditors who worked hard to ensure cases were assessed before assistance wasrendered.
Internal Audit Manager Ms Precious Mothologi pleaded with participants of the workshop to be responsible when dealing with children as some of them were beneficiaries of MVA Fund. “We want to give these children and or dependents a chance to a normal life as MVA Fund so it is very important to have savings accounts for dependents especially children,” Mothologi said.
She said that MVA Fund has a hotline for reporting unethical behaviour or fraud.
One of the stakeholders, Ms Boipelo Mekgwe who is a social worker from Mahalapye said they usually assist orphans and they ensured they followed the right procedures when dealing with cases that involve children including those whose parents have fallen victim to road accidents.
Over and above, Ms Mekgwe said every child has the right to be taken care of by both parents and they had encountered situations where parents some parents or guardians misused the fund’s life support benefits f
“Road accidents affect children emotionally so we support them by offering counselling so when these children are neglected or not being taken care of properly due to misappropriation of funds it adds salt to the wound,” said Ms Mekgwe.
She highlighted that children frequently find themselves in situations that could lead them to prison or other harmful circumstances due to unresolved anger stemming from mistreatment by their caregivers.
Ms Mekgwe also emphasised the importance of guardians registering orphans, ensuring they qualify for the government’s special dispensation programme. This programme, even if not requiring financial aid at present, could offer much-needed support in the future.
Mr Lesego Poloko, the Registration Officer at the Department of Civil and National Registration, mentioned their collaboration with the MVA Fund to verify identification documents, particularly in cases involving claims.
He noted common issues such as false declarations and document falsification, stressing that these acts are criminal and punishable by law saying the Anti-Corruption Unit actively investigates such cases.
Inspector Chookwa Mangope of the Botswana Police Service underscored the seriousness with which they handle fraud cases and their close partnership with the MVA Fund. The aim, she said was to ensure compliance with the law, with the Fund informing them of any irregularities with beneficiaries.
Ms Mangope also highlighted the necessity of breaking down silos among stakeholders like social workers, banks, the Department of Civil and National Registration, and the Botswana Police Service.
This collaboration, she said was crucial in reducing instances of fraud, which could lead to imprisonment for up to 10 years.
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