SPECIAL PENSIONS SPECIAL PENSIONS ACT ACT 69 OF

SPECIAL PENSIONS

SPECIAL PENSIONS ACT (ACT 69 OF 1996)

PURPOSE OF THE ACT To provide pensions for persons who made sacrifices or served the public interest in the cause of establishing a democratic constitutional order

QUALIFICATION CRITERIA • South African citizens or entitlement to SA citizenship • Full time involvement • Inability to build a pension for at least 5 years • Surviving spouses and dependants of deceased persons may also qualify • Had to be 35 years or older on 1 December 1996

FULL TIME INVOLVEMENT • • Full time engagement in a political organisation Banishment or restriction Imprisonment for a political offence or detention Suffered a permanent or total disability or from a terminal disease as a result of full time involvement in the struggle. (No age restriction)

WHO WILL NOT QUALIFY FOR A SPECIAL PENSIONS • If found guilty of committing a schedule 1 crime after 2 February 1990 • Engaged in actions which undermined the struggle for a non-racial democracy and justice in South Africa

UNDER 35 s Further resolution passed on 15 November 2006: “That the House request the Leader of Government Business to provide feedback on the adoption of Resolution (See ATC, 8 November 2005) with particular reference to co-ordinating the implementation of programmes which will provide education, skills and other measures with regard to integrating individuals back into society”

UNDER 35 s • Special Pensions administration faces numerous enquiries on a daily basis from under 35 s • There appears to have been very little movement on this matter

NEW BENEFITS • Funeral Benefits • Spouses Pension • Orphans Pension • Section 7 – (Reconsideration of decisions)

CLOSING DATE The closing date for new applications was 31 December 2006

STATISTICAL OVERVIEW Received Approved Not Approved Out standing Applications 54 515 19 366 (36%) 21 232 (39%) 13 917 (26%) Review applications 6 748 834 (12%) 3 286 (49%) 2 628 (39%) Late Applications : 4 618

FORENSIC INVESTIGATION • Scorpions made arrests in Eastern Cape, trials are in progress • Special Investigating Unit in the process of cleaning up the data base

FRAUD METHODOLOGY • Fictitious/exaggerated biographies • False claims to being surviving spouse or dependants • False claims of permanent disability/terminal illness • False identity documents

PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS • Average time for processing new applications – 4 to 6 months • Dependent on quality of supporting documentation • Average time for Review Applications 12 to 18 months.

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