Insurer refunds Khayelitsha pensioner after we query funeral policy deductions
Three elderly women say strangers offering vouchers or a business opportunity left them with funeral policy deductions they don’t recall agreeing to.
A Khayelitsha pensioner, Thelma Nkone, received a refund after 1Life cancelled her funeral policy following queries from GroundUp. Nkone, 76, receives an old-age grant of R2,420 and had been paying R205 each month for a funeral policy from November 2025 to May 2026. She was unaware she had agreed to the policy. Another pensioner, Nosibongiseni Tsusane, 72, had his grant reduced by R170 after being approached by women offering to help him enter a grocery voucher promotion.
Upon noticing the deduction, Tsusane learned it was due to Clientèle Life. She had not given her card details and felt pressured into signing up. Clientèle Life's compliance officer, Marilyn Pillay-Gumbie, stated that the company investigated the cases raised by GroundUp. They engaged with the individuals concerned and resolved the matters, including cancelling policies and refunding premiums where appropriate.
Written by urgent.news from GroundUp's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
