PSMAS members endorse Mhlanga

Paidamoyo Chipunza Health Reporter
Premier Service Medical Aid Society members yesterday settled the long-running dispute on the leadership of the society when they overwhelmingly voted for Dr Gibson Mhlanga to be in charge on an interim basis.
Dr Mhlanga is a principal director in the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
After a public notice for the special annual general meeting held at a local hotel, 744 members out of over 600 000 turned up to cast their votes in a secret ballot that will shape the future of the society.

According to the PSMAS constitution at least 100 members can make a binding decision at a special general meeting.
The special annual general meeting, the first in the history of medical aid societies in Zimbabwe at which members were asked to vote for the leadership, was presided over by Secretary for Health and Child Care Brigadier-General (Rtd) Dr Gerald Gwinji.

The members first voted to approve that Dr Gwinji preside over the meeting and then went on to vote for Dr Mhlanga.
Speaking after the voting, Dr Gwinji said Dr Mhlanga was at liberty to propose a team that he deemed fit to work with.

He said the previous interim board which Dr Mhlanga was heading was meant to assist Government oversee operations of PSMAS in the absence of the board of directors.

“The previous substantive board had dissolved itself, hence the previous taskforce team was an emergency measure meant to assist the Secretary (for Health and Child Care) play an oversight role over the society,” said Dr Gwinji.

“An interim manager can only be legally put in place at such a meeting like this one.”
Dr Gwinji said the previous interim team managed to stabilise relations between the society and service providers, restored confidence among investors and set a direction for the transformation of the organisation.

He said he was confident that Dr Mhlanga would deliver his task, describing him as a focused, committed and result-oriented professional.
“We have given him other tasks in the ministry outside his daily duties and he has executed them well, hence I am confident that he will deliver his mandate,” said Dr Gwinji.

Dr Mhlanga said he would now work freely since he had been legally appointed.
He said the previous arrangement from which they were appointed by Government without members’ endorsement stifled progress as they had to consult on every decision they made.

“This process will definitely have a positive impact on execution of my duties, particularly on decision-making issues,” said Dr Mhlanga. “The previous team was not a full legal entity because we had to consult and consult and sometimes overconsult.

“I can now make decisive actions and decisions without overconsulting.”
Dr Mhlanga said although existing statutes provided 12 months for his team to manage PSMAS, he expected to have covered almost 90 percent of his mandate by December.

Some of the terms of reference for Dr Mhlanga include instigating the process of a forensic audit, re-looking into the societies’ remuneration structure, review the society’s financial position, it’s constitution and it’s relationship with Premier Service Medical Investments.

One of PSMAS members who participated in the process, Mr James Maridadi, said the voting process went on well, but Dr Mhlanga needed to move with speed to restore corporate governance at the society.

Mr Maridadi, who is the National Assembly member for Mabvuku, said officials who defrauded the society should be brought to book.