Staff Writer
Harare, The Insurance Council of Zimbabwe (ICZ) has launched an integrated emergency call centre (591), accessible free across the country’s networks and linked to critical emergency services.
Chairman David Nyabadza, at the launch said the toll-free call centre is directly integrated with critical emergency services, such as the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), ambulance services, insurers and government agencies.
“This integration will ensure coordinated responses to emergencies, saving precious time but, more importantly, lives.
“Apart from that, it is a critical component of the national financial inclusion strategy and addresses the pillar of social protection in the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1),” he said.
ICZ, an association of short-term insurers and reinsurers in Zimbabwe, registered and licensed by the Insurance and Pensions Commission (Ipec), currently has a membership of 20 insurance companies and 9 reinsurers.
Nyabadza said ICZ is aware that members of the public, particularly passengers in public service vehicles, are often uninformed about the insurance coverage they have in the event of an accident.
“This initiative, we believe, will be able to bridge that knowledge gap, fostering transparency, efficiency and crucial support to all those that are affected in an accident.
“We invite all Zimbabweans to embrace the service, not just as a helpline but as a lifeline, and we believe that 591 will not only transform emergency responses in Zimbabwe but will also take precedence in how insurance and emergency services can collaborate to provide real-time solutions to those that are in need,” he said.
Nyabadza highlighted that in today’s world, sustainability is not just an objective, but it is a necessity, and ICZ has long recognised that true sustainability goes beyond just making money.
“It must create meaningful social impact in every country driven by a profound desire to make significant social impact.
“This has led to an ICZ groundbreaking initiative where we are launching a unique national integrated call centre that will revolutionise responses to emergencies across Zimbabwe.”
Nyabadza added that this is a testament to what ICZ can achieve through innovation, collaboration and a shared commitment to the welfare of the public.
ICZ chief executive Donald Muthe said as we reflect on where we are and where we aim to go, we must acknowledge the evolving role of the insurance industry in shaping the world around us.
“This is presenting us with an incredible opportunity to take our position as the representative of the non-life insurance sector and lead with purpose.
“The transformative strategy we are implementing for our CSR initiatives is designed to go beyond the conventional understanding of “doing good.” It’s about embedding sustainability, positive social impact, and ethical responsibility into the very core of our operations and culture.,” he said.
He noted that over the years, ICZ has invested in economic initiatives in line with non-life insurance business and social needs that have made heart-warming changes in the beneficiaries’ lives who are mostly the socially and economically disadvantaged.
He said the CSR strategy is also being aligned the internationally adopted SDGs and ESG Frameworks as well as our National Development Strategy 1 which is now moving to its second phrase.
Muthe said ICZ is actively addressing the economic, environmental and social challenges, contributing to the sustainable development of the communities.
He noted that through the transformative CSR strategy, ICZ continues to intentionally invest in purposeful business practices that will in the long run strengthen and continually improve the non-life insurance service provision.
“We aim to build trust and confidence in the public through offering insurance services that show commitment and deliver a unique value to ours stakeholders.
“This is what has led to this gathering where we are proudly launching our Call Centre and help desk for free use by the public to assess emergency assistance and access to insurance services and information.
“The facility will also provide much needed assistance to assessing insurance compensation.”
