Several efforts to get updates on the proposed pay-outs to beneficiaries of the former Venda Pension Fund have been unsuccessful. We now ask readers if they perhaps know whether any of the promises made have materialised.
In August last year, the then Finance Minister, Malusi Gigaba, promised that the issue would be resolved by the end of November 2017. His promises followed a report by the former Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, recommending that the issue be revisited.
"The Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA) is collating and reconstructing individual files and records of beneficiaries. This will ensure that qualifying pensioners receive the monies due to them," the Ministry of Finance stated in a press release.
In December, an article appeared in the New Age newspaper, in which it was stated that the National Treasury had asked for more time to conclude the investigations and make a recommendation/decision. It was stated that treasury "were working together with the Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA) to address the remedial action contained in the report of the public protector regarding the matter."
For the past two months, the Limpopo Mirror has been enquiring from the GPAA as to what the progress has been on the pension pay-outs. On April 18, questions were sent to the agency, only to be met with an auto-generated reply stating that a response would be sent within 14 days. After two weeks, another automated reply followed, stating that the query had been referred to the relevant department. After this, nothing has happened and if you send another email, the process starts afresh. This process seemingly continues indefinitely. Requests to be put in contact with a media spokesperson are only met with an auto-generated response.
We are hoping to carry an article on the issue in this week's Limpopo Mirror, but apart from what has happened, we have very little else to go on. If any reader can provide us with some more detail, this will be appreciated.