Pensioners vow to keep fighting

A group of pensioners who spent the night outside parliament have vowed to keep the pressure on MPs to help them claim money owed to them.

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Parliament – A group of over 100 pensioners from the former Ciskei have vowed to keep the pressure on Parliament to assist them claim pension and wages from their former employers – Spoornet and the Ciskei Transport Corporation.

The pensioners spent a chilly night on the cobblestones outside the gates of Parliament, insisting MPs help them with their plight.

Milton Maweni told African News Agency he worked for Spoornet from 1959 to 1988. After a strike, he and his colleagues were locked out, and told not to return.

Maweni said they’ve approached government several times for assistance, but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

“We did not get our pensions, they just close the gates,” he said.

“They eat the money because we are old. All these are old people sleeping here outside on the ground – why? All Parliament members are children and they are cheats.”

Senior parliamentary officials and MPs met with the disguntled pensioners, and have reached a settlement which would see the pensioners provided with transport to return to the Eastern Cape.

A task team, consisting of officials from the Eastern Cape Premier’s office and the departments of transport and public enterprises, would be set up to look into the matter.

“The idea is to establishe if indeed there is money owed, and if so why the pensions were not paid,” said National Assembly secretary Masibulele Xaso.

The task team would be given until November 30 to complete its work.

African News Agency