The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe, ARTUZ notes that the Minister of Health and Child Welfare, has through, Statutory Instrument 58 of 2025 made changes to the SI 330 of 2000, ( Medical Aid Societies Regulations).
SI 58 of 2025 amends the principal instrument by the insertion after section 26(1)(b) of the following—
“Provided that where the interim manager due to circumstances, beyond his or her control, fails to execute his or her mandate the Secretary may extend the period of twelve months by another period of six months:
and:
Provided further that within the extended period of six months, the interim manager further fails to complete his or her mandate due to circumstances beyond his or her control, the Secretary may extend the tenure by a second and final period not exceeding six months.
(1a) The extended period in terms of the first and second provisos to subsection (1)(b) shall be in operation up to to the 30th of November, 2025, after which the extension is deemed repealed.”.
The amendments are set to benefit the sitting Interim manager of the Public Service Medical Aid Association, PSMAS, Dr Simon Nyadundu. Nyadundu was appointed as interim manager in November 2023. His mandate ran from 1 December 2023 and expired on 30 November 2024, in line with the provisions of SI 330 of 2000.
Dr Nyadundu illegally remained in office from 1 December 2024 to date. The first 6 months of his stay in office expired on 31 May 2025. The new amendment seeks to sanitize his illegal 6 months stay in office and further award him more 6 months in office up to 30 November 2025.
The regulations have nothing to do with making PSMAS a viable entity but giving Dr Simon a job.
It is clear that this Simon failed to do his job of bringing sanity to the Association by facilitating the appointment of a Board. This work was supposed to be done in the first 12 months.
Dr Simon Nyadundu has been pursuing an agenda out of his mandate. The now discredited Doctor has been working hard trying to amend the constitution to usurp the powers of the ordinary members and handover the association to government selected technocrats. He has failed. The illegal term extension is designed to ensure that he achieves his agenda of usurping powers of the General membership.
The Union is of the principled position that the PSMAS belongs to the members who subscribe to the medical aid society. Those members should remain with the power to appoint their Board.
Nyadundu has failed to facilitate the process. The man should never benefit from the extension of term of office of the interim manager. The law shouldn’t apply in retrospect.
We call upon Dr Nyadundu to do the honorable thing and step down. The Secretary should appoint a new interim manager who should facilitate the appointment of a Board in 6 months.
Civil servants desperately need a functioning medical aid. We are losing a lot of civil servants to avoidable deaths.
The Union is ready to approach the Courts for recourse if Dr Simon Nyadundu chooses to illegally stay in office.
ARTUZ Information Department
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