1.Thank you HON. Speaker.

2.This KZN Joint Municipal Pension Fund (Retirement) Bill 2016 is a progressive Bill, as I expected, post democracy, although it has taken more than 20 years to be attended to, and therefore should be retrospective in its implementation and application.

3.The only concerns the Minority Front has are, the fears of municipal employees who believe that there must be greater transparency to the powers of the MEC, especially when it comes to the usage of the funds, which must never be recalled savings to bail government out under any circumstances.

4.The other concern is on section (8) (3) (c), where part-time workers can apply to the Board of Trustees and municipality to be regarded as a full-time worker but the Minority Front would like to see this section time-bound.

5.With this the Minority Front supports the KZN Joint Municipal Pension Fund (Retirement) Bill, 2016

Thank you.

Debate by: Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi

Minority Front Leader (KZN Legislature)