#Momentum's decision to pay R2.4m claim illustrates the power of social media
|Published
Cape Town - After days being bashed on social media for refusing to pay out Denise Ganas' claim against her husband Nathan's life insurance, Momentum Life on Tuesday announced that it has backtracked on its original decision and will now pay out the R2.4 million claim to the widow.
The insurance giant also announced that it will pay out life insurance claims to families of victims of violent crime, to a maximum of R3 million, regardless of their medical history. According to Momentum, the policy change will be applied to all current and future life insurance policies.
The consensus among South Africans on Twitter and Facebook was that this case was a classic example of social activism at work, as well as the powerful role that social media plays in holding big business to account.
In a country where we have long been accustomed allowing ourselves to be bullied into accepting the often unjust "policies" of big businesses, the case of Denise Ganas and the way the public mobilised to show their displeasure at Momentum's use of an "industry standard" to try and get out of honouring her claim, is sure to be precedent-setting.
Here are some of the reactions from Twitter:
In case you ever doubted the power of social media.
Thank you Mzansi ✊🏾✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/vBNoyvPfgF
— Tumi Sole (@tumisole) November 20, 2018
It’s been remarkable to see how a news report can gather #momentum and grow into a wave of public outrage in the way that this story has. Immense pressure on #Momentum has forced it to buckle and pay. The power of the public and the 4th Estate.
— Mandy Wiener (@MandyWiener) November 20, 2018
A broker told me earlier that almost all his clients have asked him to move their policies with #Momentum to another service provider. Anyone seen MMI's share price today? @Powerfm987
— Iman Rappetti (@imanrappetti) November 20, 2018
The positive power of social media in South Africa #Momentum👇🏽 https://t.co/AceMrAoYV0
— Trevor Ncube (@TrevorNcube) November 20, 2018
#Momentum is paying more by not paying the widow of the deceased client. The company is bleeding goodwill and having its reputation severely damaged. It’s appearing as a company that lacks ethics and moral judgment.
— Makhosini Nkosi (@Makhosini) November 19, 2018
This #Momentum Scandal has taught me that as South Africans there's nothing that can defeat us when we stand together. 😍
United we stand, devided we fall. #Momentum #MomentumMustFall #StateCaptureInquiry
— Anathi1992 (@anathi1992) November 20, 2018
Social Media is a platform for very POWERFUL protest against wrong doing. It makes the POWERLESS very POWERFUL. #Momentum https://t.co/YywA9PtcEj
— EMZA🇿🇦 (@Essau_EM83) November 20, 2018
In other news - common sense, decency and humanity seem to have triumphed in the Ganas case with @Momentum_za
Siyabonga Twitter ✊✊✊ #Momentum #Ganas @RediTlhabi @tumisole @Eusebius pic.twitter.com/UnyyJEyM8s
— Khaya Sithole (@CoruscaKhaya) November 20, 2018