NSSA rot_ Details emerge
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The National Social Security Authority (NSSA) board members reportedly flew to
Kenya on a week-long training workshop that could have been held locally and save
foreign currency, with the trip now seen as a holiday.
This happened at a time pensioners were wallowing in poverty.
NSSA on Monday sent general manager Mr Arthur Manase on leave to allow internal
and external investigations into corruption and looting allegations.
Air tickets and hefty allowances were paid for the team to undergo training in Kenya
despite the fact that the same company that offered the training course had agents in
Zimbabwe who could have done it locally. Sources said NSSA had an option of paying
for the service to the same company in local currency if the training workshop was
done locally. However, NSSA opted to fly the board members to Kenya.
“It boggles the mind why NSSA chose to fly the board members to Kenya and spend
thousands of US dollars on a workshop that could have been held here without paying
airfares.
“It also raises questions on what sort of training the non-executive directors required
in Kenya. Training workshops are usually done for employees who are involved in the
day-to-day operations of an entity,” said a source that preferred anonymity.
Investigations are also underway to establish if there is any truth in allegations of
impaired recruitment at NSSA where the top managers are being accused of corruptly
recruiting their cronies.
The laid down recruitment procedure, according to sources, was not followed when
some top managers’ cronies were recruited.
Also under investigation are allegations of opaque investments where asset
management companies were hand-picked without due process. Many of the asset
management firms are directly or indirectly linked to some officers at NSSA.
Mr Manase, who is now on leave until the investigation is complete, allegedly received
a US$750 000 housing loan, but continued to draw US$2 500 monthly in housing
allowance to service the loan despite the fact that he already owns a home.
In a notice on Monday, NSSA chairman Dr Percy Toriro said the challenges were multilayered
and could be attributable to a variety of factors.
“Different State entities, including the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, have
been seized with the issues. The board has also been seized with the issues. The board
has also been conducting its own investigations into the allegations,” he said.
Recently, President Mnangagwa expressed displeasure over the rot at NSSA, just as it
appeared the authority had overcome corruption-related challenges from its recent
past, as the number of workers contributing subscriptions at the Authority was
ballooning, a sign that the economy was thriving.Herald.