National Social Security Authority (NSSA) Board Chair, Emmanuel Fundira was allegedly forced to return a car that he had taken from the pension fund after intervention from the Office of the President, a close source privy to the details has said.
Under NSSA policy, the non-executive chairperson is not entitled to a car, but, according to sources, Fundira was using a Land Cruiser Defender.
An inside source disclosed that Fundira’s return of the vehicle was prompted by a direct intervention from the highest office in the land.
The source revealed, “The President’s office expressed concern about the misuse of NSSA resources, especially at a time when the authority’s performance and transparency are under scrutiny. It was made clear that such actions were unacceptable since he was appointed to clean the mess at NSSA.”
Contacted for comment, NSSA Board chair said he has not returned the car.
“NSSA has nationwide projects and I was given the car to conduct those. It is wrong to say I took the car when our minister approved the acquisition. The organisation is going through some reforms and I know such utterances are coming from an aggrieved section who are not happy with what I am doing,” he said.
Fundira was appointed after the previous board was accused of looting millions of dollars in hefty allowances and benefits from underpaid pensioners living in abject poverty.
Despite NSSA failing its mandate of establishing sustainable social security schemes for civil servants in Zimbabwe, it has proved, however, that it has capacity to please top bosses through hefty allowances.
Investigations at the time established that the then NSSA general manager Arthur Manase was at the centre of a massive storm involving public funds at the institution.
Manase received a US$750 000 housing loan and continues to receive a monthly US$2 500 housing allowance to service the loan despite the fact that he already owns a home. Five luxury vehicles have since been allocated to him.
Top executives are also receiving loans ranging from US$60 000 to US$100 000 and top-of-the-range latest land discovery vehicles after receiving loans.
