The Sunday Mail
THE National Social Security Authority (NSSA) is mandated to establish and administer social schemes on behalf of Government in terms of the NSSA Act Chapter 17:04. The schemes that NSSA administers are aimed at providing social security benefits that assist in poverty alleviation, and this is in line with Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030, which is aimed at ensuring an upper middle-income economy. The goal towards poverty alleviation is also in sync with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Against this backdrop, the authority administers two schemes — the Pension and Other Benefits Scheme; and the Accident Prevention and Workers Compensation Scheme. Our senior business reporter Oliver Kazunga (OK) sat down with NSSA acting general manager Dr Charles Shava (CS) to shed light on the operational overview and strategic direction the authority is taking in aligning itself towards contributing to the national vision. Below is an excerpt of the interview.
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OK: Thank you very much, Dr Shava, for granting this interview. To start with, how have you been finding yourself fairing as the acting general manager?
CS: You are most welcome. I was appointed acting general manager on July 1, and that’s now three months ago. Over the past three months, l would say things have been happening.
Of course, we have some challenges, but we tried to go above those challenges and make sure that we deliver social security to our stakeholders.
OK: You are referring to “challenges”, what are these challenges?
CS: Oh, a lot of challenges that have been happening at NSSA but l don’t want to talk much about those things.
I think you are aware that there are investigations going on around the institution.
But we have put that aside and decided to concentrate on delivering social security to the people of Zimbabwe.
OK: Apart from the occupational safety and health, what other scheme do you run as NSSA?
CS: It’s the Accident Prevention Scheme.
Basically, the way NSSA is structured is such that we are established by an Act of Parliament (NSSA Act) and the NSSA Act gave birth to NSSA as an authority, which is mandated by the Government to produce social security schemes and currently we have got two schemes, the Accident Prevention and Workers Compensation Schemes.
OK: How have you been able to do that given the prevailing economic climate in the country?
CS: We deliberately made a strategic decision to concentrate most of our collections and investment income towards paying pensioners rather than towards investments because our core business is to pay pensioners and we are leaving very little for investments.
We believe this is not going to be long-term, but it is going to be appropriate for this time and as things improve, we can make sure that we have got enough to invest for future generations and also for the sustainability of the schemes.
OK: What is your comment on the current pensioners’ statistics and how do these compare with last year’s figures?
CS: We have around 212 000 pensioners on our payroll, and there has been just a marginal increase. What happens is we run a life certificates programme.
There are some people who actually fraudulently claim pensions. So, we want to make sure that all our pensioners can physically identify themselves.
You find that there is a situation where we fail to locate some pensioners.
Some pensioners have not come here to register for the life certificate, a certificate to say you are alive.
So, we have a situation at times where the numbers fall because some people don’t come and suddenly when we locate all of them, the numbers slightly go up.
OK: On the Accident Prevention and Workers’ Compensation Scheme, may you elaborate on what this scheme is all about?
CS: This scheme basically deals with accidents prevention. In the event that injuries and diseases occur, we provide compensation. This scheme provides both accidents prevention as well as compensation.
This scheme is financed by employers only. It’s different from the other schemes where both employers and employees contribute.
OK: Looking at the Accident Prevention and Workers’ Scheme, how do you comment on occupational accident and injury statistics over a period of time, for instance from 2020 to this year?
CS: In 2020, we had about 42 deaths and over 5 200 injuries, and that was at the peak of Covid-19, although there wasn’t much industrial activity.
We expected that deaths and injuries will fall but actually they went up for some reasons and we think it is because there was little enforcement from us as a regulatory authority. So, people were free to do whatever they wanted.
Last year, 48 deaths were recorded due to accidents at the workplaces while 4 257 injuries were recorded. Again those statistics are very high when you consider that we are only talking of people who are in the formal sector.
I think we have about 52 deaths up to the end of August and the year is not even over while injuries are over 4 700 already.
Our statistics are certainly not pleasing and we believe we should actually do more. NSSA is dealing with a very low death, injury and disease reporting rate.
OK: What do you attribute this low reporting rate to?
CS: Firstly, a lot of people don’t report because they have this unfounded fear that we will be prosecuted and we want to assure our clients that we are there to support them.
As an enforcement authority, some employers believe that if they report to us, they will put themselves in trouble.
But that is not the case. When you report an accident, you are not admitting any culpability. Secondly, the other reason for the low reporting rate is some employers are ignorant of the fact that they have to report the accidents at the workplace to NSSA.
OK: In the event that you discover that certain employers have not reported an accident or injury at the workplace, do you have any measures that you implement?
CS: We always try and educate them to understand that it is important for them to report accidents.
But we have other employers who, despite doing all this to them, they still don’t report accidents. In health and safety, we use a carrot and stick approach. On the carrot bit, we try to provide as much as possible; and on the stick part, when you don’t comply, we can actually enforce.
OK: May you also shed light on the issue of corruption that we have read about in newspapers. NSSA has been in the limelight on corruption allegations?
CS: I am happy that you say you read the newspapers.
Unfortunately, those are matters that are above me.
I would not want to comment much about that because there are issues that are being handled at the level of our principals in the ministry. I think those are better placed to comment a lot about that.
All that I can comment on at the moment is that we are making sure that the business of NSSA is going on very well.
At the level of the workforce here, we always fight corruption. We don’t want corruption.
OK: We have also heard of a forensic audit that has been undertaken at NSSA, may you give us an update of the report?
CS: Again, those are matters that I think are beyond me.
Our principals — who happen to be in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare — have enough information on that.
But all that we know is certainly there is a forensic audit that is coming but l can’t say more than just that because we only know when we get advice.
OK: And lastly, your parting shot?
CS: As NSSA, we have the interest of our pensioners and workers at heart.
We are going to do everything that’s needed to make sure that we concentrate on our core business – paying decent pensions and making sure that accidents and diseases are prevented in workplaces. Those are the two reasons why NSSA was established.
