Welcome to Mines 1970
Unclaimed Preservation Pension and Provident Funds.
The Mines 1970 Unclaimed Preservation Pension and Provident Fund was created for mine workers who were part of the South African mining industry between 1970 and 1998. The fund is now closed, and no new contributions are being made.
Our main purpose is to trace and pay the former members of the fund—or, where the member has passed away, their rightful beneficiaries. Over the years, we’ve helped thousands of individuals receive what is due to them.
Who manages the fund?
The fund is managed by a dedicated Board of Trustees who ensure everything is done fairly, responsibly, and in the best interests of members and beneficiaries. Day-to-day operations are overseen by the Principal Officer, Ms. Queeneth Buthelezi, supported by the Business Manager, Ms. Mbali Ratlou.
Our partners
We work closely with tracing agents, administrators, and consultants to track down former members and process claims. AlexForbes is our appointed fund administrator. Our auditors are PricewaterhouseCoopers, and our actuarial services are provided by Moruba Consultants and Actuaries.
Our impact
As of June 2025, we have paid over 17,500 claims totaling R315 million, with more claims in progress.
Our challenges
Many former members live in remote areas and lack access to technology or documents, making the tracing process difficult. We are committed to overcoming these barriers and continuing to reach as many people as possible.
Introduction
- The Funds are unclaimed benefit funds that stem from mine workers who worked in the mining industry from 1970 to 1998.
- The fund is closed and there is no active contribution to the fund.
- The funds’ primary objective is to trace former members or in instances where the former member has passed away the beneficiaries of those former members.
- AlexForbes as the administrator is responsible for the claim payments and the trustees have partnered with a number of tracing agents to track down and source claim documentation to allow the administrator to make payments.
- Due to the aging profile and the lack of proper record keeping the fund faces many challenges in making sure they trace and pay the correct former members.
- The day-to-day operation of the Fund is placed in the office of the Funds Principal Officer (Ms. Queeneth Buthelezi) who is able assisted by her Business Manager (Ms. Mbali Ratlou)
Service Providers
- The Funds were self-administered until 30th May 2013. The 13B Administrator at that time was the Chamber of Mines.
- The Board of Trustees agreed to appoint AlexForbes as their independent 13B Administrator on the 31st May 2013.
- The board makes use of Price Water Coopers as their Auditors.
- The Actuarial Team responsible for all actuarial work was NMG Benefits Services until the 31stDecember 2024.
- During 2024 to the board decided to go through a closed tender process and Moruba Consultants and Actuaries.
- The Board also appointed and independent consultant DTC Consulting Pty Ltd in 2020 who’s primary responsibility to advise the board and work closely with the Principal Officer of the Fund.
On 1 January 1970, the Mines 1970 Pension Fund was established primarily as a defined benefit fund and the Mines 1970 Provident Fund was established primarily as a defined contribution fund, in accordance with the Pensions Funds Act, 1956 (PFA). The Chamber was the sponsor of the Mines 1970 Pension and Provident Funds.
The main objective of the Fund was to provide benefits to members upon their retirement and to the nominees and dependents of members who died in service. The “employers” of each Fund were either members of the Chamber of Mine of SA (“the Chamber”) or companies affiliated with or related to the Chamber. Accordingly, the majority of the members of each Fund were miners employed by the Chamber or by mining companies who were members of the Chamber.
In. 1989, a number of alternative employer Funds for mineworkers were established to give effect to negotiated benefits between the Chamber and the National Union of Mineworkers. These funds proved to be more popular than the Pension Fund and Provident Fund and by December 1991, the contributing membership of each Fund had dropped off dramatically. It was for this reason that the Board decided to close each Fund to new members with effect from 1 September 1992.
With effect from 1 January 1998, each Fund ceased receiving contributions from members and employers who paid contributions on behalf of such members. By the end of 1998, the last active members of each Fund were transferred to other funds ( the MPF and Sentinel, Goldfields Pension/Provident Funds, Hartebeestfontein, Loraine Fund, Impala Fund etc.) and the pensioners of each Fund (who could be traced) were outsourced to insurers (Old Mutual) and ceased to be members of the applicable Fund.The Funds were thus left with lapsed former members from 1 January 1999