According to a close source with knowledge of the situation, the Office of the President intervened and reportedly pushed Emmanuel Fundira, the chair of the board of the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), to return a car that he had misappropriated from the pension fund.
The non-executive chairperson is not eligible for an automobile, according to NSSA regulations. Fundira was driving a Land Cruiser Defender, according to reports.
According to an insider, the highest office in the nation directly intervened to force Fundira to return the car.
The source revealed, “The President’s office expressed concern about the misuse of NSSA resources, especially at a time when the authority’s performance and transparency are under scrutiny. It was made clear that such actions were unacceptable since he was appointed to clean the messy at NSSA.”
NSSA Board Chair’Emmanuel Fundira’ Forced to Return Vehicle After Presidential Intervention!
Contacted for comment, NSSA Board chair said he has not returned the car.
“NSSA has nationwide projects and I was given the car to conduct those. It is wrong to say I took the car when our minister approved the acquisition. The organisation is going through some reforms and I know such utterances are coming from an aggrieved section who are not happy with what I am doing,” he said.
Fundira was appointed after the previous board was accused of looting millions of dollars in hefty allowances and benefits from underpaid pensioners living in abject poverty.
Despite NSSA failing its mandate of establishing sustainable social security schemes for civil servants in Zimbabwe, it has proved, however, that it has capacity to please top bosses through hefty allowances.
Investigations at the time revealed that Arthur Manase, the general manager of the NSSA at the time, was at the epicentre of a major scandal involving public money at the organisation.
Despite already owning a property, Manase acquired a US$750 000 housing loan and continues to get a monthly US$2,500 housing allowance to pay the loan. Since then, he has been given access to five high-end automobiles.
In addition to loans between $60,000 and $100,000, top executives are also getting the most cutting-edge land exploration vehicles.
Source ZiMetro News
