The DA and the municipality pensioners are once again considering contacting the Human Rights Commission as their pension funds have still not been paid.
Pensioners and the DA gathered in a peaceful protest at the city hall on Wednesday during the council proceedings.
The publication previously reported that Msunduzi had allegedly not paid its retirees their pension money — up to R1,7 million per person depending on their length of service. The total amount owed to the pensioners is R33 million.
The money was held in a Pietermaritzburg pension fund established in 1966, according to the city.
Garth Middleton, the ward 32 councilor, said: “This issue was on the agenda for the council meeting. It was stood down because according to the MM, it is still being investigated.
“This is becoming really frustrating because we came here hoping that we would hear a way forward for this matter. The pensioners’ hopes were raised because this issue was on the agenda, but again nothing has happened. There is still no way forward,” said Middleton.
It has been almost eight years and we still have not been paid our pension funds. We have had meetings with the mayor, but they keep on pushing it and pushing it and I don’t know why.
“They must tell us and keep us informed about what is happening with the investigation because they promised to pay us our money,” said Balan Pillay, one of the pensioners that were supposed to receive their pension fund from the municipality.
“Most of us worked for the municipality for over 40 years. We deserve better than this. We are battling to keep ourselves afloat. One of us had to sell his car just to be able to put food on the table,” added Pillay.
Meanwhile, outside council meeting the municipality manager, Lulamile Mapholoba, addressed that DA and the pensioners regarding this matter.
“This matter is still under investigation. There is still a lot of work that still needs to be done. It is not an easy matter and it is an old matter so it will take some time.”
I am, however, happy with the progress of the investigation that has been made thus far … We might have to press criminal charges. The lawyers have about 17 files that they have to go through.
Mapholoba added that he is satisfied with the progress made thus far and sympathizes with the pensioners.
“There is an investigation plan, but we don’t have an exact date to of knowing when this whole process will be completed,” the MM said.
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