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4 The Standard August 3 to 9 2014 Local News ‘Impi not overstepping ZMC mandate’ Nyarota said the mandate of Impi went beyond that of ZMC as outlined in Section 249 of the Constitution and in the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Aippa) BY our staff Information and Media Panel of Inquiry (Impi) chairman, Geoff Nyarota has dismissed claims by Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) Chairperson Godfrey Majonga that the panel was duplicating the functions of the commission. Nyarota said Impi would have preferred that the question of its mandate vis-á-vis that of ZMC be raised with the responsible Ministry of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services at the time the panel was constituted over seven months ago. ZMC on July 14 wrote to Impi snubbing an invitation to contribute to the on-going national debate on the future of press and media governance in the country. Majonga said Impi was duplicating the mandate of ZMC. He likened the media panel to an ad hoc committee which Parliamentarians wanted to set up to duplicate the functions and tasks of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission. “According to Section 249 of the Constitution, the functions of the ZMC include to uphold, promote and develop freedom of the media, to promote and enforce good practices and ethics in the media,” he said. But in a letter addressed to Majonga dated July 24, Nyarota said Impi had noted the concerns raised by the ZMC regarding its terms of reference and seeming duplication of roles. “In our view, your response would have been more appropriately channelled to the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services just after the announcement of the setting up of the Impi in December 2013,” he wrote. “It is our belief that ZMC would have rendered itself, all media stakeholders and the public at large great service if it had voiced then the many issues that it now grandiloquently raises with Impi, with the Ministry itself. By now it is our belief that these would have been settled,” said Nyarota. He said the mandate of Impi went beyond that of ZMC as outlined in Section 249 of the Constitution and in the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Aippa). “While there are some common aspects such as conducting research on issues related to freedom of the press, freedom of expression, we also note that regarding other aspects that may seem common in terms of the mandate of both Impi and ZMC, such as round ethics and regulation of the media and media diversity, the Act and the constitution go on to impose a ‘promotional’ role on the ZMC.” He said it was not within Impi’s mandate to promote any of the aspects being looked at, but rather to simply enquire and asses the status quo of various aspects outlined in the panel’s terms of reference and to then further make recommendations on these issues. “It is our belief that this is solely the mandate of ZMC and in that regard, we do not see duplication,” Nyarota said. He said ZMC’s failure to contribute to the process was of no benefit to the public at large who stood to benefit from Impi’s findings. Geoff Nyarota CITY OF HARARE Yali recipient inspired Press Statement Commissioning of the Coventry Road Holding Bay The Coventry Road Commuter Omnibus Holding Bay will be commissioned on 5 August, 2014. Kombis that pick and drop passengers at the Copacabana Bus Rank will use the Holding Bay. Logistics for the successful implementation of using the Holding Bay have been put in place. From the suburbs kombis will drop passengers at Copacabana and proceed to the Holding Bay from where they will be called to pick passengers to their various destinations through radio communication. For re-emphasis no passengers will be dropped or picked up from the Holding Bay. However during the morning pick-hour kombis can drop passengers and return to the residential suburbs to ferry more commuters. A kombi coming from the Holding Bay to the bus rank will be issued with a ticket to be surrendered at the entrance. The ticket will bear the number plate of the kombi. Only kombis with certified tickets will be allowed to pick up passengers. Harare Metro Police and the Traffic Enforcement officers will man both the Holding Bay and the Copacabana Bus Rank with support from the Zimbabwe Republic Police. The two facilities are fitted with booms to regulate the movement of traffic. The purpose of the Holding Bay is to ensure that no kombis park on the streets. The City Council is actively engaging kombi operators to ensure adherence and acceptance. Initially temporary mobile toilets would be in use while construction of permanent structures is in progress. Refuse bins have been provided while vendor activities will be strictly regulated. The Holding Bay will assist in the partial decongestion of city roads. However on their own they will not clear all the congestion in the city. The City is actively looking at building more such facilities to cater for traffic from Chitungwiza and the southern suburbs, and for traffic from the East (those that use the Fourth Street Bus Terminus). There is also the need to introduce mass bus transit system and to gradually phase the smaller commuter omnibuses. Holding Bays will not create problems. They are a solution in themselves. Members of the public are urged to shun kombi operators who use illegal pick and drop points because such spots endanger their lives. Community participation will greatly assist in decongesting the streets. We urge the media to educate the public on the dangers of using illegal pick and drop points and also to educate them on the need for maintaining the aesthetic beauty of Harare by using designated pick and drop points. Corporate Communications Division Visit us on: www.hararecity.co.zw Facebook: The City of Harare Twitter: @cohsunshinecity Harare to become a World Class City by 2025 BY John Mokwetsi MANDelA Washington fellowship recipient, Zambu lambu (pictured) feels inspired after the US Secretary of State, John Kerry mentioned her name during opening remarks of the Presidential Summit in Washington recently. “It was definitely a surprise to me. I did not know he would call out my name and cite me as one of the young leaders in Zimbabwe who had done well in their field of work,” lambu said. lambu was part of 30 young Zimbabwean leaders who were selected to participate in the inaugural Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African leaders Initiative (Yali), an initiative of US President Barak Obama announced in 2013. Obama first launched Yali in 2010 to support an emerging generation of African leaders as they work to drive economic growth, enhance democratic governance, and strengthen civil society structures. lambu, beaming with pride, told The Standard: “It was interesting to hear such a powerful man rephrase my biography. I was glad he acknowledged econet as well. That is where I have done most of my work.” The remarks were heard at her offices in Harare as colleagues had communally watched through live streaming the address in Washington. Kerry in paying tribute to her said: “I’m inspired by Zandile lambu from Zimbabwe. She is leading the charge to promote inclusive economic growth. And Zandile hasn’t just spoken words about shared prosperity; she’s walked the talk. “She’s used her position at econet Services to create new trade opportunities for mobile money products in Africa. She’s partnered with businesses to provide mobile money services to local communities. “You know how hard it is to get money into people’s hands or move it or control it. Well, there’s a way to do that now in this mobile technological world that we all live in. And she’s being creative and grabbing the best of that, and she’s volunteered to teach other young women how to design and develop mobile apps.” But how was this taken by colleagues and friends back home? “You will not be able to start to imagine the amount of phone calls and text messages I received when the world was shone on me,” lambu said. During her six weeks in the US as a Fellow, she took business and entrepreneurship courses at the prestigious Yale University. lambu said she has had valuable lessons in her bid to keep on improving and honing her business skills and spoke on the need for Africa to take ownership and build meaningful partnership that grow the continent. lambu recalls the wisdom: “In my time here, I learnt that collaboration is key. No organisation or country can solve complex problems on its own. everyone sees opportunity in Africa except Africa.”
The Standard August 3 to 9 2014 5 National Pension Scheme 1994 - 2014 For 20 Years Your Social Security Our Priority October this year marks the 20th anniversary of the birth of the National Social Security Authority’s Pension and Other Benefits Scheme, also known as the National Pension Scheme (NPS). It was October 1994 that employees first contributed to the national pension scheme. Since a new social security pension scheme is normally considered as having reached maturity after 40 years, when the youngest founding generation retires, the 20 year mark is a significant milestone. The scheme is half-way towards maturity. Those who started contributing to the scheme in 1994 at 18 will be 38 now. They will be 22 years away from the normal pensionable age of 60 and 27 years away from the latest pensionable age of 65. The size of one’s pension depends on one’s contribution period and insurable earnings at retirement. The expected retirement pension after 40 years of contributions is 63,3% of insurable earnings at retirement. After 45 years the insurable earnings replacement rate is 75%. After 47 years it is 79,7%. After 20 years of contributions, the insurable earnings replacement rate is 26,7%. Many current pensioners are receiving pensions that are more than the percentage of the insurable earnings they would ordinarily have been entitled to, because NSSA has set a minimum retirement pension level, which is currently $60. The minimum survivor’s pension is $30. The minimum contribution period for a national pension scheme retirement pension is 10 years. A lump sum grant, instead of a pension, is payable to those who have contributed for less than that but not less than 12 months. First Pensioners However, to enable some of those who, due to their age, would have been unable to contribute to the scheme for 10 years prior to retirement, provision was made for up to seven credit years for contributors who were already aged 49 and above as at October 1, 1994. This meant the first pensions were payable three years after the scheme began. The credit years were calculated by subtracting 49 from the age of the person on 1 October 1994. At the end of 1998 there were already 3 907 retirement pensioners. Today there are 41 405. One of the first beneficiaries of the national pension scheme was Amos Dube, from Njube in Bulawayo. At 72 years old, he has been receiving a monthly pension from NSSA since 1998. “I started contributing to NSSA when the pension scheme started in 1994 and I retired a few years later, after which I began to receive my pension.” National Pension Scheme turns 20 “It is little but it helps. I can pay rent and buy food. When we started receiving our pension in 1998 I could afford to also pay school fees for my children because back then schools were not as expensive as they are now,” said Mr Dube. Another of the early pensioners, Takaidza Muchinapaya, from Bikita in Masvingo, said he uses the monthly pension from NSSA to fund his chicken rearing project. He left formal employment in 1998. “I started receiving a monthly pension from NSSA when I left employment in 1998. Back then we used to use the money to pay for my children’s school fees and buy books as well as food. “Now that many of my children are grown up we use the money to fund a chicken rearing project that we run. We are able to purchase chicken feed with the money,” he said. Juliet Chemwanyisa, from Marange, was among the first beneficiaries to receive the survivor’s benefit. “My husband died on 28 January in 1996 and I have been receiving the survivor’s pension since then, together with my last child who I was pregnant with when my husband died. When he died we also received a funeral grant from NSSA, which assisted us with the funeral arrangements,” she said. Hyperinflationary Era The pension scheme and pensioners themselves, like all organisations and individuals in Zimbabwe at that time, had a difficult time during the hyperinflationary era, where the value of pensions and other benefits was so badly eroded by inflation that many beneficiaries did not find it worth collecting their pensions. Nevertheless, despite the complete loss in value of the Zimbabwe dollar and the loss in value of equity and money market investments, NSSA managed, largely due to its property investments, to recover. In April 2009, it became the first pension fund to start paying benefits to local pensioners in foreign currency, following the country’s adoption of multi-currency trading. In August 2008, the maximum insurable earnings ceiling that had been in place was removed, in order to help counter the effects of inflation and provide meaningful benefits. Because pensions are calculated on a person’s contribution period and insurable earnings at retirement, some of those who retired in 2009 and early 2010 on good salaries in a multi-currency environment are receiving monthly pensions in excess of $500, since their basic wages and insurable earnings were the same. In May 2010 Government reintroduced an insurable earnings ceiling, which it fixed at $200 per month. As a result those who retired between then and May 2013 received low pensions, since nobody’s insurable earnings were higher than $200. In June 2013 the maximum insurable earnings ceiling was raised to $700. Investments As the scheme has developed, NSSA’s investments have increased so that it is now one of the country’s major investors. The bulk of contributions received has to be invested to grow the pension fund and ensure that those who retire in 40, 45 or 47 years time will be able to receive a pension that is 63,3%, 75% or 79,7% of their insurable earnings at retirement. The full benefits of the pension scheme will only be realised when the scheme has been going for 40 years and beyond. By that stage most pensioners will have been contributing to the pension scheme for most of their working lives. At that stage the scheme will be comparable with the well established schemes in more developed countries, the only limiting factor being the maximum insurable earnings limit, which by then is sure to be higher than it is now or may perhaps even have been removed. At almost 20 years old, the National Pension Scheme is half-way towards maturity, towards becoming a well-established scheme where those who joined the pension scheme at its inception and continued to contribute to it for the full 40 years will be able to retire with a pension that replaces almost two-thirds of their insurable income. adrenalin advertising & design 5213 Mr Amos Dube Mr Takaidza Muchinapaya Mrs Juliet Chemwanyisa NSSA FOR CARE AND PROTECTION
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