1

As the saying goes, it is not about how you start but how you finish. Colleagues; we have

ran the race thus far despite the obvious tragedies and accompanying shame of the

University being splashed on local media but let us applaud the fact that we are still

steering and are getting closer to the finish line. It is inevitable to feel discouraged and demotivated however such negativity can only

slow you down and it can suddenly make you feel like you have reached the pinnacle of your resilience. Before you give up, just remem-

ber why you joined this University at the first place, go back to your drawing board, what was your goal, surely there are aspects of your

job that you still enjoy. We all want to see change but before you throw stones ask yourself if you have contributed fully to the positive

change you want to see in this University. Motivate yourself to be the change, and if you can’t

change what you see then change how you see it, see it as a challenge to conquer and capitalise

on your own strengths.

On pg 3 the Wellness division have contributed on Mental Health Awareness. Mental health is

very important to captivate your mental strength. You can only rely on your mental strength to

stay focused and motivated. It has been said that the limit in not in the sky but is in the mind, you

can go as far as your mind can take you. Let us pick up the pace as we are heading towards the

finish line and let us finish the year 2015 strong.

Wongs!

EDITOR’S NOTE

W E A R E A L L C A P A B L E O F E X C E L L E N C E

HR NEWSLETTERHR NEWSLETTERHR NEWSLETTER NOV 2015 ISSUE

2

Unfortunately this is the question that we

never ask ourselves during our lifetime. We

live oblivious to the fact that we are going to

die. The payment of death benefits from a

Pension, Provident or Retirement annuity fund

is regulated by section 37C of the Pension

Funds Act 24 of 1956. When a member dies

and a claim is made, the trustees of the fund

must follow the requirements as set out in the

Act and cannot merely follow the beneficiary

nomination which was made by the member.

The beneficiary nomination form acts merely

as a guideline to the trustees as to the wishes

of the member and will be taken into

consideration when investigating the claim

The trustees have the final say with regards to

the distribution of the death benefit, however,

they must ensure that there is equitable

distribution.

According to section 37 C of the Pension Fund

Act a dependent is defined as a person in

respect of whom the member is legally liable

for maintenance or that person was factually

or legally dependant on the deceased member

for maintenance. This basically means anyone

who was financially dependant on you and can

prove that. The trustees would therefore have to

investigate the matter and do all in their power to

trace any dependants. Once they had traced these

dependants the next stage of the enquiry would be

to examine the needs of your dependents.

The needs of the dependants would be indicated

by the income already available to them, their

living expenses and any costs and charges which

they would incur every month and or any recurrent

expenses. The beneficiaries who will receive a

share of the death benefit can choose to receive

their benefit either as a cash lump sum or as an

annuity (or as a combination of the two). The

annuity income will be taxed in the hands of the

recipient per the prevailing income tax tables. Cash

lump sums are taxed according to the retirement

lump sum tax table, as though they had been

received by the deceased on the day before their

passing

The most effective way to speed up the process is

to ensure that, as a fund member, your beneficiary

nomination form is kept up to date all the time and

lists ALL your financial dependants. This helps the

Fund trustees greatly in their investigation, and

therefore minimises the delay.

By: S Ndabambi

MATTERS

B ENEFIT FUNDS What will happen to my Fund

Credit benefit should I die? For the purposes of budgeting, all

staff members who are or have

dependant's intending on under-

taking studies and will require

financial assistance (study subsidy)

for the 2016 academic year are

hereby invited to complete the

forms provided by the OD office.

Closing date for submission is

Monday, 30th November 2015.

Failure to adhere to this deadline

will unfortunately mean that one

has not been budgeted for the

2016 study subsidy.

The closing date for IPA submis-

sions is the 30 November 2015 at

12:00 PM. It must be noted that

individual employee submissions

and electronic mail submission will

not be accepted. It is strongly

recommended that departments

must collect and collate the docu-

ments thereafter be submitted to

the OD Office in HR department

IMPORTANT NOTICE

IPA ASSESSMENT

STUDY SUBSIDY

3

Mental health in the workplace:

Supporting colleagues with mental

health problems

The month of October has been declared Mental Health

Awareness Month with the objective of not only educating

the public about mental health but also to reduce the stigma

and discrimination that people with mental illness are often

subjected to.

There are many causes of mental disorders. Your genes and

family history may play a role. Your life experiences, such as

stress or a history of abuse, may also matter. Biological

factors can also be part of the cause. A traumatic brain injury

can lead to a mental disorder. A mother's exposure to

viruses or toxic chemicals while pregnant may play a part.

Other factors may increase your risk, such as use of illegal

drugs or having a serious medical condition like cancer.

Mental health issues include a wide range of mental illnesses

or disorders, such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse,

Bipolar disorder and Psychotic disorders including schizo-

phrenia. Unfortunately mental health issues in general are

still poorly understood and often surrounded by prejudice,

ignorance and fear. In many workplaces, employees would

‘rather die’ than admit they suffer from a mental. Employees

choose to suffer their mental illness in silence, fearing stigma

should they speak out, while employers avoid asking too

many questions, hoping mental health disorders will just

disappear on their own. Whilst the workplace can contribute

positively to a person’s mental health, it may also aggravate

an existing problem.

There is increasing evidence that both the content and

context of work can play a role in the development of mental

health problems in the workplace.

Key factors include:

According to www.sadag.org.za mental illness is rising, and

incurring high social and economic costs. Soon it could over-

take HIV/AIDS as the leading cause of illness in South Africa.

It’s time to take proactive action that will help to manage the

impact of mental illness in the workplace. Like any chronic

condition, mental illness can be treated and prevented, it

can also be managed successfully through disease manage-

ment. If you suspect a mental illness, please seek medical

attention before more serious mental illness conditions

develop. Medications and counseling can help many mental

disorders .

By: Ms Tyanti

workload (both excessive and insufficient work)

lack of participation and control in the workplace

monotonous or unpleasant tasks

role ambiguity or conflict

lack of recognition at work

inequity

poor interpersonal relationships

poor working conditions

poor leadership and communication

conflicting home and work demands.

4

LAUGH

A LITTLE

1 0 I N T E R E S T I N G FA C T S A B O U T S O U T H A F R I C A 1. Table Mountain in Cape Town is believed to be one of the oldest mountains in the world.

2. South Africa is the second largest exporter of fruit in the world.

3. South Africa has the cheapest electricity in the world and generates two-thirds of Africa's electricity.

4. South Africa is the first country in Africa to build nuclear weapons, and voluntarily gave up its nuclear weapons

5. Kimberley may have the biggest man-made hole in the world, but did you know that the southern Free State town of Jagersfontein has

the deepest vertical man-made hole?

6. South Africa is 5 times the size of Japan, and 3 time the size of Texas

7. 20% of the world's gold is mined in South Africa

8. The world's first heart transplant was done in South Africa in 1967 by Dr Chris Barnard

9. The largest theme resort hotel in the world is the Lost City Resort Hotel at Sun City

10. South Africa has the world's largest individually time cycle race (the Cape Argus), the world's largest open water swimming event

(the Midmar Mile), and the world's largest ultra-marathon (the Comrades Marathon)

source: www.southafricaexplorer.co.za

MAKOBOKA K, NGONYAMA N, MBATANI JP, MOSS NC, SOTYATO P, SOYANA BE, NDZINGO F, BOM HP, BOKWE PZ, BOKWE P, ZONGOLA K,

KOLOMANA UP, BILL K X, VENA WW, JAZA S, FOURIE W, MNQANDI N, NCAYO X, MGEDEZI L, MJWARA J, MABEQA IX, CHETTY IG, BIDIE SS,

MOYO K, EARL-TAYLOR MA, WABABA Z, FERIM VB, MONGWE R, MABINYA LV, CHINGOMBE W, NTULI S, MBESE JZ, REMBE SW, MSAKATYA

SM, GEORGE T, NGINDA S, BESTER ZM, MZINYATHI N, TYALA YC, LIWANI MP, STARKEY AC, RANGILE L, BOKOLO S, MSEZELI S, MOLEFE M,

ODENDAAL DH, ESSENDRUP E, KWIZERA SA, KHUMALO TM, TWANI Z, MARTINSON C, CAGA NP, BARTLETT G, ISABIRYE N, GARABA F,

BOTHA CR, FAMEWO E, CHANAKIRA S, JOHL CP, WITBOOI F, MENTZ SE, MURRAY D, MAQUBELA NS