Zimbabwe: ZCTU Unhappy Over Labour Minister's Excessive Powers On NSSA

By Alois Vinga

THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has expressed concern over the excessive powers held by the labour minister over the operations of the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), which has seen him sidelining other social partners.

The ZCTU concerns come barely a week after Labour Minister Paul Mavima dissolved the NSSA board only half-way through its tenure.

The dissolved board, chaired by Cuthbert Chidoori, was appointed by the then labour minister, Sekai Nzenza in February 2019.

Mavima said the decision to fire the board was in line with the reorganisation of the pension fund "to respond to emerging issues in the world of work and align its mandate with the national development agenda".

However, several stakeholders in the labour fraternity have piled pressure on ZCTU to challenge the disbanding of the NSSA board.

Speaking to NewZimbabwe.com Sunday, ZCTU secretary-general, Japhet Moyo said he is yet to engage Mavima over his unilateral decision taken to dissolve the NSSA board.

"We have always raised concerns over the excessive powers bestowed on the minister by the Act. We disagree with the ministry over this unilateral decision because we were not consulted before the announcement was made," said Moyo.

"However, we are not surprised because this has been a trend, that every minister would like to have his or her boys and girls in the board that would dance to his or her tune."

Moyo said the dissolved board had ceased to be answerable to social partners soon after being appointed and such trends should be corrected.

"There is need to make sure that the board is answerable to the social partners so that we own the investment policies and decisions the board makes. At the moment, we are just spectators as social partners even when on paper we are 'represented' in the board," he added.

This article originally appeared on New Zimbabwe

Photo: New Zimbabwe