Pensioner's 15-year delay leads to claim dismissal

THE Financial Services Tribunal has dismissed an application by a pensioner seeking payment of R115 800 in alleged unpaid pension benefits, ruling that the complaint was lodged far too late.

- SINENHLANHLA MASILELA [e-mail]

The tribunal rejected an application by Malose Phineas Manyama to overturn a ruling by the Pension Fund Adjudicator (PFA), which had found his complaint to be time-barred.

Manyama, who was employed by Fleet Africa (Pty) Ltd from September 1974, left the company in July 2009. He submitted a withdrawal claim form in September 2009 to claim his benefit from the Auto Workers Provident Fund.

He later alleged that his withdrawal benefit of R115 800.72 was never paid to him. According to Manyama, the fund had paid the money into the wrong bank account and incorrectly reflected the payee as “Corporate Selection Umbrella Retirement Fund” ina March 2025 letter. He argued that the funds were either misdirected or intentionally misrepresented.