The Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU) has announced that it will be marching to the Public Service Commission to hand over a petition over the cancelling of the Psmas AGM.
Civil servants were Thursday left seething with anger after anti-riot police officers stopped a Public Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) annual general meeting (AGM) for the second consecutive year without explanation.
In an interview with 263Chat, Charles Chinosengwa of ZCPSTU highlighted that Psmas is owned by workers and not the government.
“Government pays 80% as a condition of service. They are now abusing power because the public service wants to run the day-to-day activities of psmas. They want to grab pumas and now that’s an issue,” he said.
The government pays 80% of PSMAS subscriptions for each of its employees under the medical scheme.
Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) president, Enock Dongo, described the act as hooliganism.
“It is only prudent to give members the chance and opportunity to hold an AGM so that we can discuss the issues,” said Dongo.
“We are aware that besides government, there are also challenges as far as PSMI is concerned in terms of abuse of funds that we are hearing, which we want to confront at the AGM.
“If we are blocked, where exactly are we going to vent and say what we want to say? This is the only platform where we can discuss these issues.
“We are now very convinced that government has a hand as far as the problems at PSMI and PSMAS are concerned. If not, they should allow us to have an AGM so we ask these boards.
“We understand PSMAS’ AGM was supposed to be conducted last year but it was stopped by the same government. If there is anything that they wanted to do, they should have done that over that year.
“They cannot do that, this is hooliganism.”
Allegations are that some top public service officials have been siphoning funds from PSMAS, PSMI and some of its investments, hence concerted efforts to block the AGM.
Civil servant’s representatives hinted at a forensic audit for the institution.
