by Tsui Wing Hoi, Anthony. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1989. / Bibliography: leaf 37.

The purpose of this study was to review the provision of public and private retirement funding in both South Africa and the United Kingdom and the role of taxation in encouraging greater private provision for retirement. The study described the basis of taxation and determination of ‘taxable income’ in each jurisdiction, before addressing the relationship between taxation and retirement funding in each jurisdiction respectively. Both jurisdictions have introduced significant reforms of their systems of retirement funding and these reforms were accordingly addressed in the present research. The study compared the two jurisdictions based on the above mentioned areas to determine similarities or differences. The study concluded with recommendations, these being that South Africa should assess the feasibility of providing greater State provided retirement funding by possibly including a mandatory contribution, such as that used by the UK for its single-tier flat rate New State Pension. A further recommendation was that South Africa should encourage greater provision of private retirement funding by considering even greater tax deductions for contributions.

Thesis (LLM. (Labour Law)) -- University of Limpopo, 2013 / This study will analyse section 37D of the Pension Funds Act, 24 of 1956. The analysis will also give insight to pension benefits, and how they are afforded special protection by the legislature. Section 37A (1) prohibits the reduction, transfer, cession, pledge or hypothecation of pension benefits. In terms of the Act if a member becomes insolvent, pension benefits are deemed not to form part of the insolvent estate and are thereby protected from erosion by creditors. Section 37C of the Act deems pension benefits payable on the death of a member, subject to certain exceptions, not to form part of the assets of the estate of the deceased member. Section 19 of the Act also serves to protect pension benefits by restricting the manner in which a fund’s assets may be invested.

Thesis (LLM. (Labour Law)) -- University of Limpopo, 2013 / This mini dissertation relates to the payment of divorce benefits to a former spouse upon divorce and recent amendments that have taken place in the Pension Funds Act 24 of 1956.Particular reference is made to the amendment of Section 37D.This amendment has brought about changes that will contribute positively to the development of South African Retirement Law. The discussion below deals with the unfairness to non-member former spouses before 1st November 2008. An analysis of pension interest taking into account relevant statutory provisions and case law will be dealt with as well. A classification between a member spouse and a former spouse in order to determine who is responsible to pay tax upon divorce. In terms of the Divorce Act 70 of 1979 the former spouse of a retirement fund on divorce could be awarded by the court a portion of the benefits that the member would have received had she/he resigned on the date of divorce. The former spouse was only entitled to receive that share when the member became entitled to a benefit in terms of the rules of the fund which states on his/her retirement or termination of membership which could have been many years after the date of the divorce. Dissolution of Customary marriages will also be discussed and the benefit a divorced spouse has at the dissolution of marriage.

Thesis (LLM. (Labour Law)) -- University of Limpopo, 2013 / This mini-dissertation evaluates the laws regulating beneficiary funds in South Africa. A beneficiary fund is a fund established for the purposes of accepting lump sum death benefits awarded in terms of Section37C of the Pension Funds Act (the Act) to a beneficiary (dependant or nominee) on the death of a member, which are not paid directly to that beneficiary or to a trust nominated by the member, or to the member’s estate or to the guardian’s fund. This replaces the previous payments to trusts and a fund can now only pay to a trust if the trust was nominated by the member, a major dependant or nominee; a person recognised in law or appointed by a court as the person responsible for managing the affairs or meeting the daily care needs of a minor or incapacitated major dependant or nominee. Any association of persons or business carried on under a fund or arrangement established with the object of receiving, administering, investing and paying benefits, referred to in section 37C on behalf of beneficiaries, payable on the death of more than one member of one or more pension funds is a beneficiary fund and must be registered by the Financial Services Board and approved. Beneficiary funds were introduced as a result of the amendments to the Pension Funds Act into the Financial Services Laws General Amendment Act, 22 of 2008. The beneficiary funds were introduced with stronger regulatory framework. They have sufficient governance, reporting requirements and conduct annual audits.

Thesis (LLM. (Labour Law)) -- University of Limpopo, 2013 / This mini-dissertation evaluates the laws regulating beneficiary funds in South Africa. A beneficiary fund is a fund established for the purposes of accepting lump sum death benefits awarded in terms of Section37C of the Pension Funds Act (the Act) to a beneficiary (dependant or nominee) on the death of a member, which are not paid directly to that beneficiary or to a trust nominated by the member, or to the member’s estate or to the guardian’s fund. This replaces the previous payments to trusts and a fund can now only pay to a trust if the trust was nominated by the member, a major dependant or nominee; a person recognised in law or appointed by a court as the person responsible for managing the affairs or meeting the daily care needs of a minor or incapacitated major dependant or nominee. Any association of persons or business carried on under a fund or arrangement established with the object of receiving, administering, investing and paying benefits, referred to in section 37C on behalf of beneficiaries, payable on the death of more than one member of one or more pension funds is a beneficiary fund and must be registered by the Financial Services Board and approved. Beneficiary funds were introduced as a result of the amendments to the Pension Funds Act into the Financial Services Laws General Amendment Act, 22 of 2008. The beneficiary funds were introduced with stronger regulatory framework. They have sufficient governance, reporting requirements and conduct annual audits.

Thesis (LLM.) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / This dissertation deals with the inception of the office of the Pension Fund Adjudicator in South Africa with comparison with the United Kingdom and Australia. The challenges faced by the office of the Pension Fund Adjudicator are one element that advised the composition of this dissertation. South Africa is a well developing country that carries well developed laws, including, the laws that deals with the pension fund complaints and this dissertation shall analyse and unpack those laws and principles that deals with the pension fund complaints.

Prior to the introduction of section 37C into the Pension Funds Act. 24 of 1956, the benefit payable as a result of the death of a member would devolve in accordance with his last will and testament or the provisions of intestate succession. The advent of section 37C brought a statutory regime which expressly excludes freedom of testation and rather looks to the board of a fund to distribute the death benefit. The board may only pay the dependants of a deceased (either factual or legal) or the persons he has recorded on his nomination form. The section relies on the board to exercise its discretion in a manner which results in an equitable distribution of the death benefit notwithstanding that it does not provide any guidelines as to how this is to be achieved. Accordingly, numerous decisions are challenged by the identified beneficiaries because they are unhappy with the manner in which the board exercised its discretion. This results in complaints being lodged with the Pension Funds Adjudicator. Many such complaints should never have arisen or could have been easily solved by a proper exercise of discretion on the part of the board. The problem is that these complaints are adding to an already burdened office. Adequate training and understanding of the obligations of section 37C would probably result in fewer complaints to the Adjudicator. This dissertation examines whether the determinations which have been issued by the Adjudicator in respect of section 37C indicate a need for such training and understanding and, if they do, what possible remedies there might be to cure such a problem. Recommendations arising from this are that trustees must receive training focused on section 37C and proposed practical protocols to assist a board when exercising its duty to make an equitable distribution. / Jurisprudence / LL.M.

Continuous reforms of pension systems of countries of the world remain significant considering the fact that many countries, including South Africa, face challenges of how to adequately provide for their ageing populations. South Africa’s retirement system takes a formal three-pillar approach; comprising the state old-age pension, occupational funds, and private savings. Pension provision (occupational) takes the form of retirement funds which are mostly established by employers, administered by insurance companies, and regulated by the state through legislation. South Africa does not have a public fund and relies solely on the private retirement system. Many workers in South Africa retire with no income or with insufficient benefits and end up relying on the state for support. The reasons for this include a general lack of a culture of saving, the absence of a public fund, the voluntary nature of the system, leakages that exist within the system, a lack of mandatory preservation of benefits, risks with lump-sum cash payments, and the fact that the system focuses more on those in formal employment. This raises the question whether the system is in line with what is guaranteed by section 27 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 that everyone has a right to have access to social security. The right guarantees “everyone” access to some form of income (protection) during retirement, which makes retirement provision an important social security component. Thus, pensions play an important social security role as they protect the elderly from falling into poverty. Benefits received from retirement savings serve as income replacement in retirement and should therefore receive adequate protection, and they must be able to provide adequate protection to the beneficiaries – beyond mere survival. Over the years South Africa has embarked on many reform processes to find ways to improve its retirement system. This study determines the adequacy of South Africa’s occupational retirement system along social security objectives. It describes the nature of the system, considers proposals made for reform purposes, examines international law, (including systems in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom for a comparative study), identifies weaknesses in the system, and makes some proposals to improve coverage and protection of benefits. / Mercantile Law / LL. D.

Since their creation in Europe in the seventeenth century, pension funds have grown to become one of the main sources of capital in the world. A number of role players ultimately manage the pension money of members on their behalf. Accordingly, the focus of this study is on the role players involved in the actual investment of pension fund money. For the purposes of the study, the key role players in the pension fund investment chain are identified as pension fund trustees, asset managers and asset consultants. These role players have a specific responsibility in terms of the service that they ought to provide. One of the key aspects of this dissertation is therefore determining whether their responsibility is a fiduciary responsibility. The main purpose of the study is, however, to answer one overarching research question: Does fiduciary responsibility create barriers to the implementation of responsible investment in the South African pension fund investment chain? Clearly, there are two key terms in this research question, fiduciary responsibility and responsible investment. It is suggested that responsible investment takes at least two forms: a “business case” form1 in which environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues are considered only in so far as they are financially material; and a social form in which ESG issues are considered over maximising risk adjusted financial returns. Three key questions were asked in order to find qualitative descriptions and interpretations of fiduciary responsibility: Question 1: Are the key role players in the pension fund investment chain fiduciaries? Question 2: If so, to whom do the key role players owe their fiduciary duty? Question 3: What are the fiduciary duties of the key role players in the pension fund investment chain? It is also suggested that the duty to act in the best interests of beneficiaries could be described as the all-encompassing fiduciary duty. Two main interpretations of the / Private Law / LL.M.