BY NOXOLO DLAMINI
MKHUZWENI- Pensioners have called for greater clarity on the roles of the Eswatini National Provident Fund (ENPF) and the Public Service Pension Fund (PSPF), saying retirement benefits must serve the people who spent their productive years contributing to the country.
The concerns emerged at a session yesterday at Mkhuzweni Technical Centre attended by Honourable Sicelo Khungankhosi Dlamini yesterday, where pensioners and elderly citizens were given an opportunity to voice their grievances and discuss issues affecting their welfare.
At the heart of the discussion was the distinction between the two retirement schemes. ENPF is a national provident fund designed to provide social security benefits to qualifying employees, while PSPF is a pension scheme serving public servants. The pensioners called for ENPF to fulfil its mandate and operate according to its intended purpose, rather than having its role confused with that of PSPF.
The distinction is important because provident and pension arrangements do not necessarily operate in the same way. A provident fund generally provides members with benefits accumulated from contributions when they meet the relevant conditions for payment, while a pension fund is structured primarily around providing retirement income to eligible members.
The elderly also raised concern over the possible removal of beneficiaries from the elderly grant, warning that taking away this support could create serious hardship among senior citizens who depend on the grant for their daily needs.
The pensioners stressed that many of them are parents and elders who dedicated their lives to raising families, serving communities and contributing to the development of Eswatini. They therefore called for their concerns to be treated with urgency and dignity.
Adding a healthcare component to the engagement, elderly citizens were also offered free medical attention through a collaboration between friends from Taiwan and the Ministry of Health.
The medical intervention provided an opportunity for the elderly to access healthcare while also highlighting the importance of ensuring that senior citizens receive continued support beyond financial benefits.
The engagement served as a reminder that retirement security is not only about funds and contributions—it is also about protecting the dignity, health and livelihoods of the people who helped build the nation.
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(Courtesy Pic)
