Mugabe should act on PSMAS scandal within three months- MP

A member of President Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front Hubert Nyanhongo says action should be taken on the Premier Services Medical Aid Society scandal not later than three months.

In his contribution to the debate on the PSMAS scandal, Nyanhongo, a former deputy minister, said: “We now need to see action being taken by the Executive. Whoever is supposed to take action must now take action. As Parliament, we are saying we want to see action being taken not later than three months and we want to hear the reports here in Parliament, because so many lives have been lost because of these things like what Hon. Dr. Kereke has said.”

Nyanhongo said he had personally been denied service because PSMAS does not pay service providers.

“I personally went to a private hospital, even our Parirenyatwa Hospital, with that card, I was denied services because they do not honour that because the Medical Aid Society does not pay back for the services that would have been rendered to the public,” he said.

Parliament is currently debating a motion introduced by Movement for Democratic Change legislator Eddie Cross that those involved in the PSMAS scandal should be brought to book.

Cross said a forensic report on PSMAS revealed that 11 top executives earned about $119 million between 2009 and 2013.

Chief executive Cuthbert Dube earned $13 000 a day plus holiday allowance of $2 000 a day for himself and $1 000 for his wife.

Full contribution:

HON. NYANHONGO: Thank you Hon. Madam Speaker. I think in short I also rise to support the motion that has been raised by Hon. Cross – that is a very good motion. I also would want to thank him so much for the information that he managed to gather relating to the figures that were swindled by the society. We want to thank you so much for that. Hon. Madam Speaker, I always want to talk about action. We now need to see action being taken by the Executive. Whoever is supposed to take action must now take action. As Parliament, we are saying we want to see action being taken not later than three months and we want to hear the reports here in Parliament, because so many lives have been lost because of these things like what Hon. Dr. Kereke has said. I personally went to a private hospital, even our Parirenyatwa Hospital, with that card, I was denied services because they do not honour that because the Medical Aid Society does not pay back for the services that would have been rendered to the public. Mine is short and I am saying we support and we want action to be taken. Thank you.

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