Speech by Hon N Siibhidla on Government Employees Pension Laws Amendment Bill
22 September 2011
Honorable Speaker
Members of this August House
Introduction
Hon. Speaker SCOF is presenting to you the Government Employees Pension Laws Amendment Bill for consideration by the house.
The GEPF Amendment Bill seeks to amend the GEPF of 1996 in order to achieve the following objectives:
1. To provide for the insertion of a new definition- which is pension interest as outlined in the Pension Fund amendment Act of 2007 amend the current definition of employer address matters relating to the application of the revised NSF special dispensation which was adopted by the cabinet in 2009 & 2010.
2. To provide for the payment of a pension interest to a former spouse of a member, a divorce or a dissolution of a customary marriage,
3. It also seeks to amend the powers of the Board to make rules and to amend the provision providing for the recognition of pensionable service of a former member of non statutory forces or service.
All the above issues Hon. Speaker , are trying to bring the GEPF into line with the Pension Fund Act. The amendments amongst other things will amend the GEPF to provide for the Implementation of the clean break principle. Clean break principle as outlined in the pension fund Act of 2007 means that:
- Pension share must be included in the divorce claim by a valid court order
- Pension share to be paid to non member spouse at date of divorce.
Currently the GEPF does not allow a former spouse of a member to claim a portion of a member pension interest in terms of a divorce order or an order for the dissolution of a customary marriage soon after the divorce order is granted. The former spouse can only receive a portion for the member`s interest after the exit of the member from the GEPF.
Somlomo, isichibiyelo sokufaka umgomo wokuhlukanisa ngokupheleleyo obizwa nge clean break principle ngolwasemmzini, kulomthetho ochityiyelwayo uzakuhamba ibanga elide ukutshintsha impilo zabantu kweli lizwe, ikakhulukazi abantu besimame. Somlomo, uma ulandela umlando walekwe ububha nomntu omnyama kubukeka kungamathe wolwimi izinto ezingavamisanga ukuphula ngokuhlukana, oomama ke bona xa ukhuluma ngobubha kubo bachaphazeleke kakhulu. Imibiko yentlangano ezizimele iyakufakazela lokhu.
Uma ukhuluma ngabantu bebesengcindezini ngokufakwa kwalesi sichibiyelo ukukhuluma ngomama, omama babashade nabasebenzi bakahulumeni bahlukanisa ngezimo ezaziwa ngabo, lamakhosikazi Somlomo awukwazi ukuthola amalungelo wawo ukuze bakwazi ukuqhubeka nempilo ikakhulukazi aqhamuka kwindlu emnyama . Iningi labo mama alisebenzi bondla abantwana ngokuhamba becela inkongozelo bebe beve lungelo lokuthola ingxenye kwi mpesheni yalabo ababesabakuba ngabakhwenyana babo.
Lesi sichibiyelo asizukushintsha kuphela impilo zomama kodwa nabantwana abahlala nomama babo. Iningi lezingane uthola ukuthi azikwazanga ukuqhubeka nemfundo ngenxa yokuthi umama kanamandla okuqinisekisa ukuthi ingane iyayithola imfundo nalowo onguyise ngenxa kuthi asikhathi siningi imishado ayipheli kahle ube usehambela kude engafuni lutho olumsondeza nalowo owayesakuba ngunkosikazi wakhe aze akhohlwe ukuthi kufanele abhekele ikusasa lengane zabo.
Wonke ke lomthwalo ugcina usuthwalwe ngumama ngokungathi waphuza amarhewu kwavela ingane.
Ngako ke siyancoma isinqumo se GEPF sokuchibiyela lomthetho ngoba ziningi izikhalo ebesizithola zokuthi kwenziwa yini i GEPF ingabuswa njengamanye ama Pension funds akwi Private Sector.
Inkantolo isize yanquma kwesinye isikhalo sowayesakuba ngunkosikazi womnye wamalunga e GEPF. Lo mama udonsa kanzima usuku nosuku akakwazi ukuphila kahle nabantwana bakhe kufanele alinde aze owayesakuba ngumyeni ayeke emsebenzini ukuze akwazi ukuthola okungokwakhe.
Kodwa uma upasa lomthetho isimo sizakushintsha.
Okuhle ke Somlomo lesinqumo sifike I GEPF isiluqalile uhlelo lokuchibiyela lomthetho okusho ukuthi lesichibiyelo asifikanga ngenxa yesinqumo senkantolo luhlelo obuluvele lusendleleni.
Umbutho wesizwe u Khongolosi uyasiseka esisichibiyelo ngoba sizakushintsha impilo zomama nabamntwana njengoko nazi ukuthi lombutho.
