…after social media misinformation
Leemisa Thuseho
INSURANCE Powerhouse, Alliance Insurance, has reassured its clients of its unwavering commitment to fulfilling its mandate of providing compensation to those it insures.
This follows confusion sparked by social media claims suggesting that the company fails to honour certain types of insurance claims.
This week, Facebook posts surfaced alleging that Alliance Insurance refuses to pay out policies for specific causes of death, particularly accidental ones. Claims in question included deaths by drowning, lightning strikes, and deaths occurring while committing a crime.
However, speaking to the Lesotho Times, Alliance Insurance Manager for Public Relations and Corporate Communications, Limakatso Mokobocho, dismissed the allegations as false, defamatory, and baseless.
She clarified that all the mentioned causes of death were covered under Alliance’s policies.
“We have not had any recent cases where we failed to honour a claim related to drowning or any other accidental death,” Ms Mokobocho said.
“We don’t know where these allegations are coming from or why they are surfacing now, as we have consistently handled all types of claims for many years.”
She said Alliance policies accommodated all types of death, provided that all required documentation was submitted.
“The allegations are unfounded. Our policies cover all types of deaths, and we process claims accordingly.”
She also allayed fears and confusion that may have been caused by the misinformation, reaffirming Alliance’s commitment to dignity, transparency, and reliable service.
“We appeal to our clients not to be misled by social media misinformation. For accurate information, we urge them to rely on our official social media platforms and radio programmes,” she said. “We remain committed to serving our clients with dignity and transparency, as we have done for the past 31 years.”
Setting the record straight, Ms Mokobocho explained that deaths caused by drowning and lightning strikes were regarded as accidental and therefore qualify for double benefits.
“These types of deaths, such as drowning, are classified as accidental and entitle clients to double payments. However, if a body is not recovered, we must wait for a Presumption of Death Order from the courts, which can take time.”
Regarding deaths occurring during the commission of a crime, Ms Mokobocho said only the basic funeral benefit is payable, provided this is confirmed in the police report, as such deaths are not considered accidental.
She further clarified that suicide is also not considered accidental, and only basic benefits are paid—on the condition that the policyholder has been a member for more than 12 months.
Ms Mokobocho reassured clients that Alliance makes every effort to ensure clients fully understood the terms and conditions of their policies before signing. To improve accessibility, policy documents are now available in both English and Sesotho.
“We’ve also made it easier for people to reach us by setting up offices in all districts, and we encourage everyone to make use of them,” she said.
