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Paidamoyo Chipunza Senior Health Reporter
The National Blood Services Zimbabwe (NBSZ) is set to get a new board of directors following the successful holding of the branch annual general meetings. The meetings were held across the company’s five branches in recent weeks. Harare branch has a new committee, resulting in replacement of retired Justice Leslie Smith.

He was NBSZ chairperson for the past 38 years and his deputy Mr Elliot Mugamo’s term of office also lapsed.
Blood donor and lawyer Mr Rodgers Matsikidze was voted into the new committee together with former board member and blood donor Mrs Christine Shaamano.

Other committee members are Professor Takafira Mduluza, Dr Kudakwashe Muchena and Mr Cleopas Mutsvene.
The committee is expected to second its top two leaders to form the national board of directors. The other four branches, which are Mutare, Masvingo, Bulawayo and Gweru are also expected to second two top leaders from their six-member committees to form the board of directors.

In an interview with The Herald yesterday, NBSZ chief executive officer Ms Lucy Marowa confirmed the developments, saying all the five branch AGMs progressed as planned.

“The branch AGMs went on well as planned and what is going to happen now is that those chosen in the committees will now need to meet and elect two members, who will form the board of directors,” said Ms Marowa.

“We are hoping that they would complete this process by Friday, which is the day scheduled for our national AGM so that we will have a properly constituted board by then,” she said.

This development follows recent announcement by the Ministry of Health and Child Care that blood will be accessed free of charge in public health institutions with effect from July 1.

The NBSZ has been under public scrutiny for failing to attract meaningful investments.
The donors argued that lack of corporate governance had contributed to the organisation’s failure to attract assistance from Government and well-wishers to make blood prices affordable.