Cuthbert Dube still in office
HARARE – Cuthbert Dube, the retired Premier Service Medical Aid Society (Psmas) chief executive officer (CEO) is still in office despite being fired by the medical society’s board, the Daily News has learnt.
The Psmas board on Thursday reportedly convened a special meeting to try and come up with modalities to have the Psmas CEO vacate his office.
Dube, who was taking home close to half a million dollars a month at a time the medical aid society was failing to settle its debts, was till yesterday due to be advised when he would vacate office.
When the Daily News visited Psmas headquarters yesterday, Dube, who is now nicknamed “Cashbert”, was still in his office.
According to top sources at Psmas, a letter was also written yesterday instructing the former CEO to stop reporting for duty. The letter had by lunch time yesterday not been delivered to the beleaguered Psmas boss who is also the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) president.
Cosmas Mukwesha, Psmas group legal secretary, confirmed that an emergency meeting had been convened to try and work out modalities of Dube’s departure.
“The board met yesterday (Thursday) and reiterated and reaffirmed its earlier position that Dube is retired,” Mukwesha said.
“It was resolved that he must be instructed to stop reporting for duty immediately and come Monday, you will not see him here.”
Mukwesha insisted that there was no acrimony between Dube and the board.
He hoped Dube would accept the board’s resolution.
“He is likely to be handed this letter today (yesterday) after the chairman appends his signature. I do not foresee any problems thereafter,” he said.
Having been relieved of his duties ostensibly because he had reached retirement age, it was expected that Dube would stop reporting for duty.
But employees at Psmas said they were shocked to see him continue with his duties as if nothing had happened.
Company officials told the Daily News that Dube might refuse to go as he had done nothing illegal. Frantic efforts to reach him for comment were futile yesterday as his mobile phones were unreachable.
“Dube is still at work and does not seem to be preparing to go any time soon,” said a Psmas employee, speaking on condition of anonymity for professional reasons.
“He has even told his close lieutenants that he would resist any attempts to force him out.”
The development comes after it emerged Dube was earning $230000 each month at a time Psmas was struggling to pay service providers, resulting in members, mostly civil servants, being forced to pay upfront for healthcare.
In total, Dube is reported to have been earning $6,4 million annually when his generous allowances are included.
Psmas is jointly managed by the ministries of Health, Public Service as well as Finance.
After Dube, other top earners were group finance manager, Enock Gwinyai, who earned a basic salary of $200 000 a month, and group operations executive Enock Chitekedza who earned $122 000.
Group managing director Farai Muchena was being paid up to $190 000 monthly.
The top eight managers at Psmas were gobbling at least $1 million in basic monthly salaries at a time the State enterprise was reeling under huge debts. As at December 31, the society owed service providers $38 million in unpaid bills for medical services rendered to its members.
Dube joined Psmas as internal auditor in 1986 and rose through the ranks to general manager in 1992. He was appointed group chief executive in 2001 following a restructuring exercise.
He is also president of the insolvent Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) which relies on his cash hand-outs, and has been heading off frantic efforts to unseat him from the post. Daily News
