Utter lack of means of communication by GEPF is going to see me fined for late submission of my tax return

I am a GEPF pensioner and though I receive my pension regularly I have become utterly frustrated with the lack of communication, specifically, by my inability to communicate with anyone in the organisation when I desperately need to. I am currently trying to file my tax return and need my IRP5 form. I went to the app, it is supposed to be easily accessible and one can either download it or request it to be emailed. But when I am asked for which period I need the IRP 5 the app refuses to let me select a period. Without this it is impossible to submit a request.

I then tried the self service option on the website. The self service option is out of order and is being worked on by technicians according to the feedback I get. This has been the case for weeks now.

I have asked on the app for someone to call me. 10 days down the line I am still waiting for someone to call.

I have tried phoning both my local office and the national office. Whenever I try this the phone rings a few times then I am told the subscriber that I have dialled is not available and I should please try again later. When I try later he/she/it is still not available.

I now feel I have exhausted all avenues apart from going to the local office, paying for petrol, paying at least R60-00 if not more for parking, taking the risk of being ****** between my car and the GEPF office, and then still having the pleasure of sitting for hours in a queue which moves at a snail’s pace. This is the “old fashioned way” of doing things and is supposed to be obsolete in our new digital age!

With this gross incompetence it is small wonder people are starting to worry about how safe their pension money is. The GEPF is quick to write responses to suggestions that our money might be in jeopardy, but frankly with the kind of service we get nothing would surprise me.

Is the GEPF going to pay the hefty penalties with which SARS constantly threatens and browbeats hitherto law abiding tax payers? It is bad enough that SARS’ bullying tactics have turned me into such a nervous wreck at tax submission time that I now need to pay a professional to do my return as I am literally too terrified to do it myself, but to have the GEPF hindering me in even doing this is the straw breaking the camel’s back. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!