The Sunday News
ACCORDING to the organisation’s website, the National Social Security Authority (Nssa), was constituted and established in terms of the Nssa Act of 1989, Chapter 17. It is the statutory corporate body tasked by the Government to provide social security.
“The provision of social security can be defined as instituting public policy measures intended to protect an individual in life situations or conditions in which his/her livelihood and well-being may be threatened, such as those engendered by sickness, workplace injuries, unemployment, invalidity, old age, retirement and death.
“It is based on the principle of social solidarity and pooling of resources and risks, involving drawing of savings from periods of employment, earnings and good health to provide for periods of unemployment, old age, invalidity and death. At the moment Nssa is administering two schemes: Pension and Other Benefits Scheme and Accident Prevention and Workers’ Compensation Scheme, although, in an endeavour to provide a more comprehensive social security package for the Zimbabwean society, groundwork for the introduction of more schemes is underway.”
There is no doubt that the establishment of Nssa was a noble idea, as it gives a cushion and peace of mind to pensioners and those who would have been injured in workplaces. Issues to do with social security are important as the economic life of an individual slows down at some point, and that is the time when social security organisations have to chip in and make sure that life is not severely disrupted.
Queues in banks of pensioners waiting to collect their money at the end of each month is evidence that Nssa is playing a big role in the lives of pensioners. We therefore applaud the organisation for endeavouring to improve benefits to their members. Last week, we reported that the organisation has announced an improved service provision for pensioners that include free primary health care, a discount on groceries at selected shops as well as loans for income-generating projects. The improved service provision will be availed this year. Mobile clinics will also be made available to cushion pensioners against the hustle of travelling to towns and cities for medical check-ups.
Mr Tendai Mutseyekwa
Responding to questions from Sunday News, Nssa deputy director marketing and public relations Mr Tendai Mutseyekwa said the authority will continue to improve the benefits of the beneficiaries in order to provide better social security that they deserve.
“As Nssa we will continuously review our benefits pay-out levels and these will be complemented by non-monetary benefits such as discounted groceries at participating stores, access to pensioner loans for income-generating projects at a very concessionary rate of 10 percent per annum and free primary healthcare at Nssa clinics that we shall be opening in our six regions. In addition to this, each region will be getting a mobile clinic to enable us to attend to pensioners in remote areas,” said Mr Mutseyekwa.
A good country takes care of its elderly, and that can only be achieved if Nssa, which is a Government arm, plays its role with due diligence. We note that should the plans announced by the organisation come to fruition, pensioners will surely have a better life.
