The Sunday News
Property belonging to Mines and Mining Development Deputy Minister, Cde Fred Moyo’s company, was last week attached by the Zvishavane Deputy Sheriff over a $90 000 National Social Security Authority (NSSA) debt.
Cde Moyo’s Zvishavane-based gold mining company, Lenox Private Limited, did not remit workers’ national pension scheme contributions to NSSA during the period extending from March 2011 to August last year.
National pension scheme contributions are a contributory pension scheme with defined retirement benefits that depend primarily on an individual’s contribution period and insurable earnings at retirement.
Lenox, which has 69 workers, has been failing to remit workers’ national pension scheme contributions to NSSA, albeit deducting the monthly contributions from the employees’ salaries.
However, the matter came to light in September last year when NSSA conducted an audit and inspections at Lenox and discovered that the company had defaulted for over two years and the money had accumulated to $92 589.
NSSA dragged Lenox to court in May this year after efforts to recover the money were fruitless.
The matter was heard before the High Court on 30 May where NSSA was granted the order to attach the company property over the debt.
On Tuesday last week, the Zvishavane Deputy Sheriff attached the company’s mining equipment and office furniture including computers and desks for auctioning to enable NSSA to recover its money.
Zvishavane lawyer, Mr Hebert Tafa of Tafa and Partners, who was representing NSSA, confirmed that his client had attached property at Cde Moyo’s company over outstanding workers’ monthly national pension scheme contributions.
“NSSA has attached property belonging to a Zvishavane-based gold mining company Lenox Private Limited over $92 589 debt.
“Lenox has not been remitting workers’ national pension scheme contributions to NSSA for 60 workers for a period extending from March 2011 to August last year. It was after an inspection by NSSA at the company that it was discovered that despite the company deducting money from workers’ salaries, it has not been remitting their monthly contributions to NSSA.
“The matter was taken to High Court where NSSA was granted an order to attach Lenox’s property and recover the money. NSSA went and attached properties that include the company’s mining equipment and office furniture on 29 July awaiting removal and auctioning,” he said.
Cde Moyo could not be reached for comment.
