The Medical Aid Society of Central Africa (MASCA) has slashed its performance bonus provisions by 50% for the 2025–2026 financial year, citing cost containment and sustainability measures — a move that has deepened tensions with staff who accuse management of mismanagement and poor governance.

In a letter dated October 6, 2025, signed by Chief Executive Officer Doug Bramsen and Chief Finance Officer Tashinga Chimuti, MASCA informed employees that bonuses will now be strictly performance-based and subject to board discretion.

The same communication also announced the temporary suspension of pension contributions for the remainder of the 2026 financial year, starting October 2025.
To offset the change, staff will receive an estimated 7% increase in gross pay, reflecting the portion previously deducted for pensions. MASCA assured employees that all accrued pension benefits “remain secure and unaffected” and that the suspension would be reviewed at year-end.

MASCA also suspended overtime allowances until further notice, urging departments to manage workloads within normal hours. Supervisors were told to prioritise efficiency and accountability, with the letter warning that “poor time management or inefficiency will not be excused.”

Other operational changes include:

• Migrating retirees to the MASCA Select scheme from November 1, 2025; and
• Capping leave-day accumulation at 90 days in line with the Labour Act, a measure said to promote staff well-being and compliance.

In response, employees issued a statement accusing management of “repeating the same mistakes that have crippled the Society.”

They claim that between September and December 2023, US$3 million in reserve funds was allegedly looted — weakening MASCA’s ability to pay claims to members and service providers. The statement further alleged that one executive bought a US$724 000 house in Harare using “untraceable funds” and plans to relocate to Tanzania.

Workers also questioned the leadership’s competence, describing the CEO as “a pharmacist with no management experience” and the CFO as “immature and unprofessional.” Bramsen is also Vice Chairman (Major Societies) for  Association of Health Funders of Zimbabwe (AHFoZ)

The accounts department, they claimed, co-owns Pantheon Car Rental, which services MASCA vehicles through Beatific Enterprises — a company allegedly owned by the Board chairman — raising fears of conflict of interest.

Employees criticised MASCA’s marketing strategy for focusing on a shrinking formal sector while ignoring Zimbabwe’s 85% informal economy. They called for an aggressive expansion drive to attract individual members and target the informal sector, citing Econet and Steward Bank as examples of successful market penetration.

They also warned that major affiliated corporates, including Datlabs and PPC, are already moving to rival societies such as Alliance and First Mutual.

According to staff, salaries were not paid in full in October 2025, working hours have been extended, and morale is “at rock bottom.”

Workers have urged regulators to reconstitute the Board and appoint professionals with corporate-governance expertise to restore confidence, saying without urgent intervention, “the Society remains incapacitated, and its collapse is imminent.”

Management has reportedly warned of a possible shutdown by June 2026 if reforms are not successful.

Founded in 1967, MASCA is one of Zimbabwe’s oldest health insurers, traditionally serving professionals and corporate clients in the formal sector. Once ranked among the country’s top five medical aid providers, MASCA has in recent years lost market share to CIMAS, First Mutual, and Alliance Health, who have diversified products and digital platforms.