A multi-institutional task team has been established to look into obstacles delaying the implementation of Equitable Access to Social Security, a Public Protector report on an investigation into alleged improper conduct by government during the privatisation of the Venda Pension Fund. The report was issued in November 2011.
The task team was one of the outcomes of a meeting held last Thursday between Public Protector Adv Thuli Madonsela and National Treasury Director-General Lungisa Fuzile in Pretoria.
Officials from the affected organs of state, the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) and the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), were also in attendance.
While she was concerned about the delays in implementing the remedial action contained in her report, the Public Protector was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting in that there was commitment from the parties to work together to overcome obstacles.
“I was encouraged and satisfied by the open-mindedness approach of the Director-General and the officials and was also persuaded by concerns Treasury raised at the meeting,” she said.
The eight member task team, which is made up of officials from Treasury, DPSA, GEPF and the Public Protector South Africa, is scheduled to report back to the Public Protector by 28 February, with a provisional outcome on the implementation prospects of the report.
As part of its responsibility, the team is also expected to discuss issues such as the missing public service records of former TBVC states, which have prejudiced a lot of pensioners from these entities.
The team will make recommendations towards systemic interventions in this regard. This will include a systemic process involving the vetting of service records, including those of former Bophuthatswana Defence Force.
The report is accessible on the following link: http://www.publicprotector.org/library/investigation_report/2011/SKMBT_60011110813400.pdf
Enquiries:
Kgalalelo Masibi
Spokesperson
Tel: 012 366 7069
Cell: 079 507 0399
E-mail: kgalalelom@pprotect.org
