NSSA reaching out to the vulnerable

Lazarus Sauti

BRITISH entrepreneur, human rights activist, and environmental campaigner, Anita Roddick said the business of business should not be about money, but about responsibility.

She added that the business of business should be about public good, not private greed.

Motivated by Roddick’s sentiments, the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) – the statutory corporate body tasked by the government of Zimbabwe to provide social security to Zimbabweans – is showing that its business is not about money but responsibility.

Constituted and established in terms of the NSSA Act of 1989 [Chapter 17:04], the organisation is showing empathy, leadership, and responsibility through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – a concept based on integrating socio-economic, ethical and environmental concerns in business operations.

In 2018, for instance, NSSA launched Project Dzimba, a responsibility initiative aimed at providing homes suitable for paraplegics and quadriplegic pensioners under its Accident Prevention and Workers Compensation Scheme (APWCS).

“The APWCS is a scheme established in terms of Statutory Instrument (SI) 68 of 1990 for the provision of financial relief to workers and their dependents when a worker is injured or killed in a work-related accident or suffers from a work-related disease or dies thereof,” said NSSA Chief Social Security Officer, Tambudzai Jongwe.

NSSA Acting Director for Contributions, Collections and Compliance, Agnes Masiiwa added that the scheme covers all workers in the formal sector, but excludes civil servants, domestic workers, and informal sector workers.

“The scheme provides financial services to disabled workers to reduce their disablement, as well as to return them to their former employment or otherwise prepare them for a useful and meaningful place in society,” she said.

The move to construct customised houses, under the Project Dzimba initiative, across the country was made after the realisation that disabled pensioners were living in deplorable environments that were detrimental to their health and wellbeing.

Ninety-six (96) pensioners from all corners of the country, including Rungano Matanga, have benefited from the project, an added initiative that is delivered over and above traditional benefits that are covered under APWCS.

Matanga applauded NSSA for transforming his life and that of his family.

“NSSA lifted my family from absolute poverty,” he said. “The organisation not only reduced my disablement; it improved my life and that of my family.”

NSSA Chief Occupational Safety and Health Officer, Betty Nyereyegona said her organisation is targeting rural communities to ease poverty and improve the lives of injured pensioners.

“In sync with Section 30 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, we are taking practical measures to provide social security and social care to injured pensioners in rural areas and also those who are in need. We are providing them with food and building them houses and social facilities such as toilets,” she said.

She added: “As you know, most of the injured pensioners like Matanga end up living in rural areas due to various reasons. We are, therefore, making follow-ups to ensure that we rehabilitate them, build them new houses, and also improving their living conditions.”

NSSA is also engaging workers’ unions in the country to increase awareness on safety and health, especially among informal traders.

“Even though the informal sector is not yet under our armpit, we are engaging players in the informal sector as we disseminate our life-transforming information,” she said.

“Our Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives are simple demonstrations that we are focused on promoting Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) in workplaces, and building capacities by raising awareness and delivering training to our stakeholders.”

NSSA runs a Workers’ Compensation Rehabilitation Centre, an institution which was established in 1971.

“The centre aims to enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life to those with impairments and disabilities resulting from work-related injuries and diseases,” Nyereyegona said.

She also said the unique centre, the only one of its kind in Zimbabwe, comprises departments such as Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Industrial Clinic, Paraplegic Unit, Social Work, Vocational Training, Maintenance, Kitchen, and Laundry located on the same campus and sharing a common administration department.

“The Centre – which is in the city of Bulawayo, next to Mpilo Central Hospital – serves as a referral centre for patients derived from the whole country and it has a capacity of 200 clients who can be attended at any given time with 70 of them being in-patients,” she said.

“It delivers high quality and comprehensive clinical treatment, which includes therapeutic and skills training for injured workers to enable them speedy reintegration into society and work situations.”

As part of its CSR, NSSA refurbished a ventilator at Mutare Provincial Hospital and also availed two of its facilities, the Beitbridge Hotel and Ekusileni Hospital in Bulawayo, for use as a COVID-19 quarantine centre and a treatment centre, respectively.

NSSA also invested ZWL$50 million towards capacitating Ekusileni Hospital. Post COVID-19, the hospital will be converted to a training centre for specialist doctors in collaboration with the National University of Science and Technology (NUST).

Twitter: @lazarussauti @insure263