Line registration is a legal process that has become compulsory both within and beyond the borders of Zimbabwe hence there is no need to blame the continental ICT conglomerate for encouraging its customers to comply with this regulation. I however openly confess that although Econet’s idea is good,its ways are rough.I personally witnessed a multitude of customers who queued like voters of the March 29 2008 elections at the recently opened Econet Shop in Chiredzi town centre taking turns to register their lines about a month ago.The customers generally expected and anticipated the immediate re-activation of their lines which had been punitively blocked only to realise that the few minutes referred to are in fact an indefinite period of time.To exacerbate matters,the unfortunate clients were forced to spend the Easter holiday without the means to communicate with their loved ones. This redundant and retrogressive act is a clear indication that Econet,which claims to be inspired to change the world of its customers, is taking its clients in the remote town of Chiredzi for granted.It is also disturbing and infuriating that members of staff at the local Econet outlet are refusing to explain why their company has failed to re-activate the lines it deactivated about a month ago. Customers who have already played their part by registering their lines do not deserve this unprofessional conduct. It is ironic that this ill-treatment is coming from a company which always brags of being inspired to change the world of its customers. One begins to wonder why Econet deactivated the lines in the first place when it did not have an effective reactivating plan. And instead of explaining this irregularity, the local Econet staff simply recapture registration details and give pseudo-promises to clients who revisit the shop to find out why they are being kept in incommunicado. There are also many cases when customers are told that their lines would be re-activated in the next few minutes only to only to be disappointed.
Tawanda Mahosi, Chiredzi.
