Gays to get govt pension

2003-06-12 20:51

Sonja Carstens

Pretoria - Gay couples and permanent partners are entitled to pensions from the government employee pension fund after changes to regulations which discriminated against them.

Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, minister of the public service and administration, said during her budget debate in parliament that the term "spouse pension" has been changed in the regulations after an agreements was reached with public service trade unions.

The Constitutional Court earlier found these regulations to be unconstitutional and discriminatory.

The new regulations are applicable only to a single partner, which means that the fund does not cater for traditional marriages where more than one spouse may be involved.

- Beeld