Question NW664 to the Minister of Finance

Reply:

(a)

The Ciskeian Civil Servants Pension Fund (CCSPF) of the former Ciskei was administered by the former Ciskei Government until 1993 when Sanlam took over the administration. The GEPF took over from Sanlam in 1999. The Ciskeian Civil Servants Pension Fund was, together with certain other pension funds as specified in the Government Employees Pension Law, 1996 (GEP Law), amalgamated into the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF).

Any member of the CCSPF whose pensionable service data was received from the CCSPF correctly, was transferred to the GEPF as part of the amalgamation. Such a member’s GEPF pensionable service includes his/her CCSPF pensionable service for which such a member was not already paid and is recognised as a continuous pensionable service record.

Members who exited the CCSPF prior to amalgamation, would have been paid their pension benefits through the then administrator being Sanlam.

Any member who was amalgamated into the GEPF as explained above, has his/her CCSPF pensionable service recognized as part of their GEPF pensionable service. When such a member exits the GEPF the full pensionable service (inclusive of the CCSPF) is considered to determine the pension benefits.

There is accordingly no knowledge of “thousands of pensioners” who were not paid what is due to them as any such member whose data was correctly transferred and who was not paid any benefit under the CCSPF, has their pensionable service for such period recognized as part of their GEPF pensionable service. The GEPF investigates any individual case where it is submitted that a member’s pensionable service record differs and assesses such in respect of each individual case.

(b)

Accordingly, the Fund is not aware of any delays in the payment of pensions for former CCSPF members.