old marriage certificate rejected

My dad claimed my mom's provident fund since she passed away on the 17th September 2015. They didn't respond and then when he went to check on the 3rd of December they told him that they won't give him the funds because he only has the old marriage certificate then they sent him to different home affairs branches which all told him that a person can only get a marriage certificate when they get married not when your partner is deceased. Department of labour still refused with the funds.