Stealing the ‘golden years’ is despicable

2026-03-04 - 04:03

There can be nothing worse than a person getting to the end of their working life and looking forward to some sort of retirement nest egg, only to find that the amount a lot lower than they thought because the company to whom they had been loyal all those years had simply not paid over the employer’s contribution to the retirement fund. This has happened to tens of thousands of older people and it is an outrageous stain on the reputation of our country. And this is not just another political theft by ANC cadres – this involves private companies. Having said that, there were a number of offending municipalities that have, effectively, stolen from their workers. ALSO READ: Sassa fraud: 5 officials axed while Joburg office reopens It is encouraging to hear that those defaulting towns and cities will be deprived of central government’s contribution to their budget. That is serious, but it will only make things worse. Why not charge those responsible with theft? And this is even more applicable to private enterprise which, under agreements to the proposed Labour Relations Amendment Act, is being given a slap on the wrist by being forced to pay interest on outstanding money. Stealing the “golden years” from anyone is despicable and deserves the harshest punishment. NOW READ: You can draw from your two-pot savings again... but you probably shouldn’t