26 March 2020

Dear GEPF Member

As a result of the national lockdown announced by President Ramaphosa on the 23 March 2020 all GEPF offices will be closed from the 26 March 2020. We expect to reopen offices on the 17 April 2020 subject to no further lockdowns.

The GEPF’s priority in this regard is the health and welfare of our employees, clients and business partners.  It is important that we all commit to implementing the lockdown as required by Government in order to help curb the spread of the virus.

Communication with the GEPF during this period will be via email at enquiries@gepf.co.za

We would further like to encourage our members, pensioners and beneficiaries to comply with the guidelines aimed at protecting themselves and others which include amongst others:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after going to the bathroom, before eating, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
• If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol to clean your hands
• Avoid close contact with anybody who is sick, maintaining a distance of at least one meter between yourself and the sick person
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
• Cover sneezes or coughs with a tissue and dispose of the tissue safely afterwards
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
• It is recommended that only infected persons wear masks to avoid spreading the virus

We want to reassure all members, pensioners and beneficiaries that despite the decline on the global equity markets, the GEPF is financially sound. More importantly, as a defined benefit fund, benefits provided by the fund are not dependent on the performance of the fund’s investments.  Your benefit is determined by the number of pensionable service years and your average salary in the last 24 months of your pensionable salary.

Keep healthy and be assured that your benefits are secure.

Kind regards

Abel Sithole

Principal Executive Officer