Rising Sun Overport reports that a pension fund has been slated by the Deputy Pension Funds Adjudicator, Advocate Matome Thulare, for not including a deceased member’s romantic partner and child in the distribution of the deceased’s death benefit.  

The deceased member died, leaving behind his partner, who was pregnant at the time of his death and financially dependent on him.  The status of the partner and the paternity of the child was seemingly acknowledged by the other family members of the deceased.  But, the Masakhane Provident Fund never contacted the partner directly during its investigations and eventually decided to exclude the child and the life partner from the distribution of the death benefit.  In response to a complaint from the life partner, the fund submitted that it was willing to redistribute the death benefit on condition that the child underwent a DNA test.  Thulare found that there was no dispute about the permanent life partner’s status as a spouse of the deceased or the paternity of the child.  In Thulare’s view, while that there was no need for a DNA test, if the fund wanted to have one done then it should have to pay for it.  The fund was ordered to pay for all costs associated with the DNA test, including the costs of reasonable transport and accommodation where necessary.  The deputy adjudicator added that the complainant might have to travel with the child for the purposes of conducting the DNA test and, therefore, any travel and accommodation must be suitable.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard at The Citizen

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