Important Message for Zimbabwe Government Pensioners living in South Africa
The Zimbabwe Government’s Director of Pensions approached the Flame Lily Foundation (FLF) in April 2009, asking if we could assist the Pensions Office to reach pensioners in South Africa, in anticipation of pensionpayments being resumed. The exercise for this was started in October. The FLF works closely with OSPA (the Overseas Service Pensioners Association) in the UK, who are doing a similar exercise for pensioners other than those living in South Africa.There are two forms that must be completed before pension payments can be resumed, as follows:
• Certificate of Life;
• Bankers Automated Clearing Service.
These forms are obtainable as PDF attachments from the FLF. Email: rasa@iafrica.com.
You should also attach to the Certificate of Life a note giving:
• your date of entry into Government service;
• your date of retirement from that service;
• your job title, rank or grade in which Department at time of your retirement.
The Pensions Office has asked that you should also submit a certified copy of your National Registration metal card issued in Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, or of your passport (the page with your photograph), regardless of nationality. Please DO NOT send a copy of your South African ID. Please return completed forms, together with associated documents, to the FLF office by post (scanned or faxed copies are NOT acceptable).
If you are a widow, and were not in receipt of a Widow’s Pension before pension payments ceased in 2003, you will also need to complete a new four-page application form, and provide two certified copies each of your marriage certificate and your late husband’s death certificate. The new form should be available in 2010.The FLF has agreed to receive completed documents and to send them on by secure means to the Government Pensions Office in Harare. We anticipate a cut-off date of 30 November 2009, after which it may be up to individual pensioners to deal direct with the Pensions Office, unless we resume the exercise in 2010.I regret we cannot engage in continuing exchange with pensioners unless they are FLF members.
Note: If you are not a member of the FLF you may not be aware that the FLF has been in direct contact with the Director of Pensions since 1999, to assist pensioners who are FLF members with their queries and various pension problems. After pension payments ceased altogether in 2003, the FLF established the Zimbabwe Pensioners Association (ZPA) to address the situation. This resulted in Project Grateful Gran, whereby pensioners considered to be in greatest need of assistance now receive quarterly grants. Those who were employed by Government prior to 11 November 1965 (other than military pensioners), are receiving grants from the OSPBS (Overseas Service Pensioners Benevolent Society) through the FLF.