A mafia gang, which demands 10 percent upfront for them to process claims from doctors, is now operating at the Premier Service Medical Aid Society, the Member of Parliament for Chegutu West Dextor Nduna says.
The society, which has been rocked by scandals since the discovery that management was paying itself hefty salaries including more than $500 000 a month for the chief executive officer from2009 when the country introduced multiple currencies, owes millions to doctors.
“As you go to PSMAS today and you want to get your money, there is a cartel of people at accounts that will ask you to pay 10% of what you are owed in order to get your claim operationalised or to get your money from PSMAS,” Nduna said during the debate on the audits of the Grain Marketing Board.
“So, we also need to uproot or to remove that cartel, otherwise there is now a mafia that is residing at PSMAS with corrupt tendencies which makes sure that those doctors that have been giving service to Public Service employees do not get their money in an optimum way, in a corrupt free manner.
“You are turning doctors like Doctor Mataruse into mafias, which is not correct. It should not be condoned. As long as that mafia cartel still resides at PSMAS, that is going to transcend…” Nduna said before being interrupted because he was debating PSMAS instead of the GMB.
Nduna said the rot at the GMB, which had qualified audits for three consecutive years, could only end if Parliament flexed its muscles.
“Let Parliament have the power to appoint boards. Let Parliament have teeth, we are not a friend of the Executive, we are one of the three pillars of the State and as backbenchers, I think we have got three roles in one, these being representative, lawmaking and oversight. We should carry out our mandate without fear or favour and our voice should be given a light of day,” he said.
“When we say the issues of GMB should be addressed, they should be addressed not yesterday, today or tomorrow but immediately so that at least the people that we are here representing as Hon. Maridadi has alluded can see that we are a people or we are a government by the people, with the people and for the people.”
Full contribution:
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I want to lend my voice to the report from the Public Accounts Committee on GMB. I think it is a credible report and all other departments should be scrutinised in the same manner. The Auditor-General’s report should be taken seriously.
We were told the other time when we came to this House that RBZ has been given back its status of being the lender of last resort. GMB, we are told here, is a custodian of food security and nutrition. In a way it is the biggest pillar, the most valuable pillar of our nation in terms of food security and nutrition. This is also enunciated in the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation. I would not know which page, but food security and nutrition is one of the biggest pillars.
Madam Speaker, we are also told that there is an agreement between Government and GMB that was established in 1996 where there should be a grain reserve that is kept by GMB for the good of the nation. If we are not able to align GMB to good ethics right here, right now, it is as good as repealing an agreement made in 1996. If we are not able to make sure that we align GMB to ethical conduct, let us remove GMB in total, in its present state.
The issues to do with late inputs, late payments and lack of corporate governance that we were told here should be a thing of the past, especially if that has been brought here to Parliament. Parliament should be taken seriously and Parliament should be the custodian of all board positions. We should be the place that appoints boards. As we speak, boards are appointed along corrupt tendencies, collusion tendencies and nepotism. What we need is co-ordination, co-operation and networking and it should be brought here to Parliament. If we are not able to appoint boards, then we are a nation which is not in a hurry. We are not able to be custodians of our own institutions and we are not able to be in control of our own institutions, in particular the most critical institution like GMB.
It is just yesterday when we were debating about PSMAS. I am afraid I did not get an opportunity of adding my voice, so I will add it now. Madam Speaker, the issue to do with corruption was dealt with at length. However, the issue to do with the doctors that are owed millions of dollars at PSMAS was not dealt with to its conclusive end. As you go to PSMAS today and you want to get your money, there is a cartel of people at accounts that will ask you to pay 10% of what you are owed in order to get your claim operationalised or to get your money from PSMAS. So, we also need to uproot or to remove that cartel, otherwise there is now a mafia that is residing at PSMAS with corrupt tendencies which makes sure that those doctors that have been giving service to Public Service employees do not get their money in an optimum way, in a corrupt free manner. You are turning doctors like Doctor Mataruse into mafias, which is not correct. It should not be condoned. As long as that mafia cartel still resides at PSMAS, that is going to transcend…
*HON. MACHINGURA: On a point of order Madam Speaker. Is Hon. Nduna still debating on the issue of the GMB or is he debating on both issues of GMB and PSMAS? What I thought is that he wanted to take an example from PSMAS to show that GMB was as corrupt as PSMAS.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: I think there is a point of order here. Hon. Nduna, remain focused with the report on GMB that was presented by the Chairperson of Public Accounts Committee. You can refer with examples but you cannot debate the issue of PSMAS at this stage. Thank you, you may continue.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Madam Speaker. I was just likening corruptible tendencies that are residing in a certain department that have been imported into another department which is now G.M.B. Madam Speaker, mwana wehuku anodya ndiye aripo, ndiregerei ndipedzere nyota.
THE TEMPORARY SPEAKER: Order Hon. Nduna, you are not allowed to use more than one language when debating. Please stick to the language that you used in the first place.
HON. NDUNA: Thank you Hon. Madam Speaker. The chicks that feed are those that are there – [AN HON. MEMBER: IShona English iyoyo] – and a goat will feed where it is tied. Let me feed here – [Laughter] – I think my point is well ventilated. Let Parliament have the power to appoint boards. Let Parliament have teeth, we are not a friend of the Executive, we are one of the three pillars of the State and as backbenchers, I think we have got three roles in one, these being representative, lawmaking and oversight. We should carry out our mandate without fear or favour and our voice should be given a light of day.
When we say the issues of G.M.B should be addressed, they should be addressed not yesterday, today or tomorrow but immediately so that at least the people that we are here representing as Hon. Maridadi has alluded can see that we are a people or we are a Government by the people, with the people and for the people. Given that scenario Madam Speaker, I end my debate here. Thank you.
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