The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) presented its submission in support of the Special Pensions Amendment Bill to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Finance.  This is a progressive and long overdue Bill that correctly seeks to ensure that special pension fund recipients receive the full benefits, protections and rights due to them.

The Special Pensions Act was introduced in 1996 to ensure that patriotic South Africans who made heroic sacrifices to ensure its liberation from apartheid and who due to years spent underground, in prison and in exile were never able to have a normal career or contribute to a pension or provident fund, would be covered by the Special Pension and able to retire in comfort and dignity.

The proposed amendments to the Act by the African National Congress led government through Treasury, are common sense and seek to correct challenges experienced in its implementation, as well as to keep pace with improvements to other public sector pension funds and amendments to the pension and marital laws.

COSATU supports these progressive amendments that provide for:

• Persons who were not able to submit their applications for the Special Pensions on time to do so.
• Appeals for declined applications to be reconsidered with accompanying motivations and supplementary supporting information.
• Deceased members’ spouses or partners and dependent children to continue to receive the benefits due to lost loved ones.
• Recognising members’ obligations to spouses or partners and dependent children, across different marital regimes, e.g. civil, religious or customary.
• Funeral benefits to ensure members can be buried with the necessary dignity.

The Federation is heartened by this timely and badly needed Bill.  It is an affirmation that our humanity must be anchored upon how we care for the elderly, in particular those who have given so much to the nation. 

Given that most of the Special Pension recipients are elderly, it is critical that Parliament expedite its passage into law.  Time is of the essence.  We urge Parliament to ensure its adoption before rising in December 2026 to enable the President, Mr. MC Ramaphosa to assent to it and its promulgation into law by April 2027.

Issued by COSATU

Matthew Parks (COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator)

Mobile: 082 785 0687

Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za