OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday 11.00am.
THE Beka provident fund was ordered by the Pension Funds adjudicator on Tuesday to change its rules to accommodate homosexual relationships, and to give a pension to the partner of one of its deceased members.
The Gay and Lesbian Legal Advice Centre, which has been representing the new beneficiary, Rory Martin, said it sought the order on his behalf after his partner died. The two had been in a long-standing relationship.
Pension Funds adjudicator Professor John Murphy reportedly said the exclusion of homosexual partners from being beneficiaries discriminates unfairly against them.
The current rules allow only married and, in certain cases, cohabiting heterosexual partners of provident fund members to claim benefits on the death of the principal member.
Murphy argued that the rules of the fund differentiated between heterosexual and homosexual cohabiting relationships only on the basis of sexual orientation, which is unconstitutional.
The Beka Provident Fund must submit an amended definition of marriage to the Registrar of Pensions Funds within six months.