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Harare Bureau
CUTHBERT Dube, the sacked Premier Service Medical Aid Society group chief executive officer, retired late last year but was immediately re-employed on a contract basis and with a raft of benefits that indicate he could have earned well more than the reported US$6 million per annum.
A well-placed source yesterday revealed more details of Dube’s salary and benefits.
“His new contract was supposed to last for the next 10 years,” said the source.
Dube was to get a lump sum payment of $500,000 every five years as a loyalty bonus and PSMAS was to buy him a house worth at least $500,000 when he retired.
He had travel allowances averaging US$48,000 per trip regardless of the destination, and a further $17,000 for his partner. They would both fly first class.
Dube was paid sitting allowances by the board and for 13 other committees that he sat on, netting him around $32,000 every month. These committees included those for audit, benefits, constitution, procurement, finance and budget.
In 2013, Dube got $40,000 per week for three months for his medical treatment.
Further, he got free groceries, unlimited fuel, unlimited hotel stay and free medical aid cover every month, on top of his salary.
In addition, he was given a 20 percent stake in both PSMAS and its subsidiary, Premier Service Medical Investments (Pvt) Ltd.
He also had two guards at his two residential houses for 24 hours, two maids, two gardeners, two chefs and two drivers. All these were paid for by PSMAS.
Sources said several executives also had slightly lower benefits.
The organisation has eight executives who earned not less than $60,000 each per month.
“The salaries, allowances and benefits are way beyond the Zimbabwean economy,” one source said. “What is really bad is that PSMAS is failing to meet its obligation of paying service providers on behalf of their members.”
Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said yesterday that they were still looking into affairs at PSMAS.
“We’re doing everything that we can to make sure sanity prevails at PSMAS for the benefit not only of the society’s members, but the country at large,” he said.
PSMI managing director Dr Farai Muchena has taken over as acting CEO at PSMAS, while Luckson Zembe was appointed substantive board chair.
The board has reduced the salaries of all executives, but the group CEO will still get $60,000 monthly – down from Dube’s $230,000.
Online Reporter