By Own Correspondent

STATE University employees have petitioned Higher and Tertiary Education Minister, Professor Amon Murwira urging him not to poke his nose into the running of their Pension Fund.

The developments come on the back of a recent expose which revealed that Murwira had dispatched a team of experts to explore modalities of setting up a joint pension, medical aid and funeral assurance fund without due consultations from the concerned members.    

In a petition seen by The Worker the University staffers hinted at fears that Murwira was up to no good as his proposal could see the fund’s resources running dry.

The workers said such kind of interference evokes sad memories on how a once fully thriving Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) was run aground by people who thought along Murwira’s thinking.

“The current arrangements ensure maximum security of the funds and full protection of fund members and beneficiaries’ interests.

“Most of the Zimbabwe State Universities Pension Funds were left in huge shortfalls after the conversion/migration from defined benefit scheme to defined contribution scheme due to the government’s directive to do so.

“We continue to nurse the wounds up to date and, therefore, any further government interference will be adding salt to an existing injury. These shortfalls have exposed State universities pensioners and their beneficiaries to languish in poverty.”

 The Higher Education Minister was urged to stick to his core business and avoid spoiling a show he was not invited to attend.

“Policy directions, governance, management and administration functions for these funds must be member-initiated. We say ‘no’ to the minister’s directives on our welfare funds.

“Members have the rights to choose which medical aid to join, have also the rights to choose a funeral assurance fund of their choice and most importantly, have the rights to manage and administer their own pension fund,” said the petition