By Auxilia Katongomara
Labour and Social Welfare Minister Petronella Kagonye has fired the National Social Security Authority board chairman, Mr Robbin Vela.
Minister Kagonye wrote to Mr Vela advising him that he had been withdrawn as member and chairman of NSSA board with immediate effect.“Acting in terms of the National Social Security Act Chapter 17:04 Section 8 (a), I wish to advise that you have been withdrawn as member and chairman of the NSSA board with immediate effect.
Let me take this opportunity to thank you for the services you rendered to NSSA since your appointment in July 2015. May I wish you success in your future endeavours,” wrote Minister Kagonye.
Sources said Mr Vela is accused of many shady deals, which he has denied.
Minister Kagonye was not reachable for comment on her mobile phone yesterday.
Last year, Mr Vela wrote to the then Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Mr Patrick Zhuwao saying no underhand dealings had occurred at NSSA under his watch.
This was after disgruntled former employees accused him of financial impropriety.The workers sent emails detailing allegations against Mr Vela to Mr Zhuwao, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr John Mangudya and the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry.
This prompted Mr Vela to write to Mr Zhuwao and Auditor-General Mrs Mildred Chiri on November 2, 2017 saying his hands were clean.
“I write to formally draw your attention to various Press articles in which allegations to questionable conduct are levelled against the authority, in particular the chairman and general manager (Mrs Elizabeth Chitiga). I have prepared a dossier chronicling the various investments as alluded to in those articles showing resolutions taken by the board as well as other relevant information and correspondence so you can have comprehensive information as the minister responsible for the authority,” read Mr Vela’s letter.
He said due process had been followed in all board transactions.
“The onslaught from the Press appears to be relentless. As such, we have come to the conclusion that one way to deal with this would be to have an independent forensic audit report under your auspices, in order to deal with this once and for all.
“I, under the advice of the Nssa board and with the concurrence of the Honourable Minister (Zhuwao), hereby request you to institute a forensic audit, separately from your normal matter of course audits, in order that we put these various matters to rest. “Such a forensic audit would serve to give comfort to our Honourable Minister as he is in the process of acquainting himself with Nssa business,” read Vela’s letter to Mrs Chiri.
Mr Vela said instead of taking brickbats, the NSSA board should be commended for several achievements since taking over the reins in July 2015.
“NSSA has not written-off even US$1 of investment under my watch. I think every investment we have done has been performing. In some instances, we have actually written back value that was written off . . . you have heard that there is US$36 million that was lost in failed banks; we have recovered US$10 million of the US$36 million through a land deal.
“We did a land swap; that land was evaluated by three evaluators and is worth US$18 million. Is that a bad deal for the organisation? Absolutely not.
“The US$10 million had gone. We have now written back that. We are still pursuing other creditors,” said Mr Vela.
He said Nssa had caused board shake-ups at ZB Bank and CBZ banks, CFI and Rainbow Tourism Group to extract value from its investments.
The authority recorded a profit of approximately US$100 million last year, and has collected US$181 million in arrears accrued over seven years.
Mr Vela added that under his watch, Nasa actuarially agreed to a 33,3 percent increase in minimum pensions from $60 to $80. The Chronicle
