NSSA threatens land grab farmers who fail to pay
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/
The National Social Security Authority has given July 31 as the deadline for
“new” farmers to submit outstanding pension contributions for their workers
after it emerged the majority of the emergent farmers were not paying.
20.07.1111:08am
by John Chimunhu
The futures of possibly hundreds of thousands of workers employed by Zanu
(PF)-linked characters who grabbed commercial farms from their rightful
owners under President Robert Mugabe’s corrupt and violent “land reform”
programme are in serious jeopardy after it emerged that the farmers are not
remitting workers’ contributions to pension authorities.
Most of the chefs were, however, deducting money from their employees and
pocketing it.
“NSSA has noted with concern the low compliance rate in the commercial
farming sector with many farmers failing to register their enterprises and
their workers and not remitting contributions and premiums in terms of the
law.
The continued non-compliance now threatens the social security of
agricultural workers, who are one of the most vulnerable groups among the
working class,” the pension authorities said in a statement.
NSSA said it would set its inspectors to enforce the law on the farms after
the month-end deadline expires. However, it was not clear how much success
the exercise would have. Many of the new farmers do not keep records, many
of the workers are vulnerable people from neighbouring countries while trade
union activities which used to expose violators have now been banned.
General Agricultural and Plantation Workers Union (GAPWUZ) leader Gertrude
Hambira, who tried to expose abuse of workers by the new occupants and
militias, was forced to flee into exile after the CIO hounded her.
Many of the well-connected farmers have also not been paying government
taxes or repaying state loans. NSSA threatened defaulters with heavy fines
and imprisonment.