Mrewa suspension raises eyebrows at NSSA
THE National Social Security Authority (NSSA)’s investments and properties director, Brian Mrewa, has been suspended as boardroom squabbles threaten to tear apart the 29 -year-old institution’s internal cohesion and derail its mandate.
This comes as Policy Analysis, Coordination and Development Planning deputy chief secretary, Willard Manungo, has allegedly been fingered in the reversal of the compulsory pension fund’s rotational policy of its acting general managers and Dr Charles Shava’s backers are allegedly doing everything in their power to retain his influence.
“Mr Mrewa’s suspension was not only fraught with procedural flaws and an outright abrogation of the law, which are an extension of the internal wars to nail their suspended boss, Mr Arthur Manase, but board chairman Dr Percy Toriro’s spectacular u-turn on Ms Agnes Masiiwa’s appointment was solely linked to Mr Manungo’s January 03 letter that there would not be any changes as it was contrary to the Public Entities Corporate Governance (PECG) Act,” insiders said last week.
“But the strange and curious things happening at the institution is that the order to temporarily axe the investments director, came from a non-voting director in the form of Mr Clifford Matorera – and just as the ex-Finance secretary’s directive to freeze the routine changes might not come across as very prudent,” the sources said.
As it is, Mrewa is reportedly “weighing his options in so far as the “illegal” suspension was concerned as the charges were equally frivolous such that they were nothing but a witch-hunt and something targeted at the beleaguered GM”.
In the meantime, Manungo’s rejoinder has also sparked debate about the “conflicting interpretation of the PECG Act” and the top bureaucrat’s claims that it would interfere with ongoing processes might not hold water as there have been precedents at NSSA.
Crucially, the government sources said there was no explicit evidence that Vice President Constantino Chiwenga (who is quoted in the January 03 letter) was sufficiently consulted – and as is the norm when such key decisions are made – to veto Prof Paul Mavima’s proposal and just as part four of the applicable or relevant laws under discussion are clear that in the “absence of a substantive chief executive” any other (senior) member can be appointed to steer the organisation or ship.
Manungo could not be reached on his phone for a comment.
And this is exactly the reason, and premise on which the minister’s recommendation – and Dr Toriro’s subsequent newspaper advertisements – were made, but the prudent moves were thwarted by forces opposed to Mr Manase’s return.
Meanwhile, the boardroom fights playing out at the state-run entity come at a time all allegations thrown at the former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe senior staffer via social media have been thoroughly investigated – over a six months period – and cleared by law enforcement agencies.-ebusinesswekly
