YOU’RE A PATHETIC LOT, MAYOR BLASTS HMMAS

Talent Gore

HARARE Mayor Jacob Mafume has accused the Harare Municipality Medical Aid Society (HMMAS) of mismanagement and incompetence which has compromised health delivery services among the City of Harare employees.

Mafume said a committee has been set up to investigate HMMAS operations but the management at the organisation, and some board members, have been accused of trying to frustrate the probe.

Firstly, HMMAS officials and some board members rushed to court to try and block the probe but they lost the case.

Last week, HMMAS officials blocked the investigating committee from accessing their premises around the City.

But the Mayor insists nothing will stop the City of Harare from dealing with what he described as the rot at HMMAS.

“HMMAS is the City-based medical aid society, it is a protected monopoly, every employee of the council is supposed to join HMMAS and in return, HMMAS is supposed to render services to workers,” Mayor Mafume said.

“The problem is that over time there have been allegations of properties being bought, medical aids being rejected, facilities not fully equipped and the list goes on.

“We have instituted an inquiry and, to our surprise, the HMMA’s chief executive is taking Council to court to avoid being looked into.

“They are doing so with the assistance of other employees and this has caused us great concern because we are using residents’ money.

“This is a serious anomaly when an organisation that you manage takes you to court in order for you not to inquire into the happenings of the organisation, it has never been heard in the whole world.”

Mafume sadded:

“Instead of accounting they are using the monies that the employees are contributing to fight the major contributor and collector of those funds and this is problematic.

“We are going to deal with it head-on to ensure that the rot that has permeated HMMAS will be stopped.”