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Two Pot

What does two pot mean? Please refer to our attached presentation which sets out how the 2 pot system works for our different membership categories:

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View SARS self-help

Application to withdraw from your savings account

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POPIA

Handling Your Personal Information

How does the Fund handle your Personal Information?

By now you will no doubt have received numerous emails from businesses updating you on how they are complying with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) which came into full effect on 1 July 2021.

Together with our Service Providers to the Fund in providing you with retirement funding benefits, we have security measures in place to safeguard your personal information when communicating with the Employer and you as a Member. This is to comply with POPIA which is a law that enforces a person’s constitutional right to privacy by regulating the collection, use, sharing, storage, and destruction of personal information.

What do you need to know about your Personal Information and the Fund?

Security measures will apply to all recipients of our communications, this means you and the Employers. We will never send emails that have personal, identifiable information in the main text. Instead, we will include the personal information in secure PDFs attached to the email.

This means that the recipient will need a password to open the attachment and view the communication. The password will be a decryption key specific and familiar to the recipient of the document, meaning that all recipients will receive a password in a separate email in order to access the password-protected document.

Object personal information processing

Should you object to the processing of your personal information, please complete the following form:

Delete/correct personal information

Should you wish to delete or correct your personal data, please complete the following form:

PAIA

Promotion Of Access to Information Act (PAIA)

The purpose of PAIA is to give effect to the constitutional right of access to information held by any private or public body that is required for the exercise or protection of your rights.

PAIA provides you with the right of access to information held by public and private bodies when you request such information in accordance with the provisions of PAIA, for the exercise or protection of any of your or another person’s rights.

If you make such a request, a public or private body must release the information unless PAIA or any other relevant law, states that the records containing such information may not be released.

The Funds PAIA Manual is detailed below:

COOKIE POLICY

Welcome to our website.

1. Introduction

This Cookie Policy explains how we use cookies and similar technologies on our website www.vrystaat-munisipale-aftreefonds.co.za. This policy is designed to help you understand what cookies are, how we use them, and the choices you have regarding their use.

2. What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit certain websites. They are widely used to enhance your online experience by remembering your preferences and actions over time. Cookies are not harmful and do not contain personal information like your name or payment details.

3. How We Use Cookies

We use cookies for various purposes, including:

  • Essential Cookies: These cookies are necessary for the basic functioning of our website. They enable you to navigate our site, use its features, and access secure areas.
  • Analytical/Performance Cookies: These cookies help us understand how visitors use our website. They provide information about which pages are visited most frequently, how long visitors stay on each page, and whether they encounter any error messages. This data helps us improve the performance and usability of our website.
  • Functionality Cookies: These cookies allow our website to remember choices you make (such as your username, language, or region) and provide enhanced, personalised features.
  • Targeting/Advertising Cookies: These cookies are used to deliver advertisements that are relevant to your interests. They may also limit the number of times you see an ad and help measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns.

 

4. Your Cookie Choices

You have the option to manage your cookie preferences. You can usually modify your browser settings to accept, reject, or delete cookies. Please note that if you choose to block or delete cookies, some features of our website may not function properly.

5. Third-Party Cookies

We may allow third-party service providers to use cookies on our website for the purposes outlined in Section 3. These providers may also collect information about your online activities over time and across different websites.

6. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, law, or our data practices. Any changes will become effective when we post the revised policy on our website.

7. Contact Us

If you have any questions about our Cookie Policy or how we use cookies on our website, please contact us at freepen@e3.co.za

By continuing to use our website, you consent to the use of cookies as described in this Cookie Policy.

Complaints Policy

Introduction

An essential aspect of the governance of the Fund is that complaints are managed properly.  This is also one of the outcomes of the Treating Customers Fairly initiative of the Financial Sector Conduct Authority which is applicable to all retirement funds. In what is set out below the process for managing complaints is set out.
For the purposes of this Policy, a complaint:

  • May be made by a member, former member, beneficiary or potential beneficiary (“a complainant”);
  • Is not an enquiry and must allege that an issue has not been dealt with correctly, either in terms of the Fund’s rules, or according to reasonable standards of practice;
  • May relate to any Fund issue which affects the complainant, including conduct, and whether or not the complainant is or may potentially be prejudiced financially;
  • Must be against the Fund only, even where it relates to what service provider to the Fund has or has not done.

The Fund must deal with a complaint as follows:

  1. A complaint must be directed to the Principal Officer | Email: Hazel@axiomatic.co.za. The Principal Officer may refer the complaint and/or query to the relevant department or service provider.  If the complaint relates to the Principal Officer then the Principal Officer must refer it to the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees to manage, with the process following to apply in the same way to the responsibility of the Chairperson to resolve the complaint.
  2. A complaint may only be made in writing and sent by email to the Principal Officer. The complainant should include all relevant information and attach relevant documentation.
  3. The Principal Officer must acknowledge receipt of the complaint in writing within five working days of receipt, and give the complainant the name(s) and contact details of the person(s) responsible for the resolution of the complaint. The complainant must also be provided with the expected timelines involved in resolving the complaint, as well as the name and contact details of who the complainant can contact if they are dissatisfied in the way the complaint is being handled.
  4. The Principal Officer must ensure that there is a proper investigation of the complaint, if necessary involving the assistance of a service provider to the Fund (including the Fund’s actuary and legal adviser), in order to ascertain:
    4.1 If the complaint can be resolved immediately, to take the necessary action and advise the complainant accordingly in writing.
    4.2 If the complaint cannot be resolved immediately, to send the complainant a written summary of the steps to be taken to resolve the matter and the expected date of resolution.
  5. The Principal Officer may require a service provider to manage the complaint on behalf of the Fund provided that such service provider is given a clear mandate that sets out what it is authorised to do and how regularly it must report to the Principal Officer.
  6. If the Principal Officer is unable to resolve the complaint the he or she must notify the complainant giving full written reasons and notify the complainant that they may seek legal redress by referring the complaint to the office of the Pension Funds Adjudicator (www.pfa.org.za) or in some other way.
  7. The Principal Officer must record the date and details of the complaint in the Complaints Register  with details of how it was managed and whether or not resolved.
  8. The Principal Officer must request, at least on a quarterly basis, Fund reports from the service providers (including the benefit administrator, actuary and legal adviser) regarding details of complaints referred to them and how they have been managed on behalf of the Fund.

Escalation Process

  1. If the complainant is not satisfied with the management of the complaint or how it has bene managed, the complainant may request in writing that the matter be escalated to the Board of Trustees, for review and decision.
  2. If the Board of Trustees may take such steps as it considers appropriate to resolve the complaint, and must provide the complainant with full written reasons for its decision which, if not resolved as the complainant requires, includes informing them that they may seek legal redress by referring the complaint to the office of the Pension Funds Adjudicator.