Ex-Shoprite Worker Loses Bid to Access R2 Million Pension After Admitting to Bribes

Ex-Shoprite Worker Loses Bid to Access R2 Million Pension After Admitting to Bribes

When Hendrik Johannes Petrus Visser first joined Shoprite Checkers back in 1999, he probably never imagined his career would end in a courtroom. Nearly two decades later, his long tenure with one of South Africa’s biggest retailers has unravelled into a web of fraud allegations, withheld pension funds, and a damning admission that sealed his fate.

A Long Career Ends in Scandal

Visser’s employment with Shoprite came to an abrupt end in June 2018 after an internal investigation found him guilty of gross dishonesty, theft, and corruption. The company didn’t stop there, it also filed criminal and civil charges, demanding R33 million in damages from Visser and several co-workers allegedly involved in the same scheme.

At the centre of the fallout was Visser’s attempt to claim over R2 million from his Retail Provident Fund, a benefit he said was rightfully his despite his dismissal. When his request was denied, he turned to the Pension Fund Adjudicator (PFA), saying that the decision had left him financially devastated.

He claimed he’d been forced to sell his home and assets at cut prices, insisting that the ongoing withholding of his pension without a court judgment was unlawful.

The Case Unravels

But Visser’s own testimony soon made his position untenable. Under oath, he admitted to receiving R220,000 for “bookkeeping services” performed for Shoprite outside of work hours, a deal allegedly arranged with a company IT manager.

Worse still, he confessed to accepting monthly R10,000 bribes from a superior, directly implicating himself in an illegal scheme.

Those admissions effectively demolished his argument that Shoprite had acted unfairly. The PFA concluded that Visser’s misconduct directly caused financial losses for his employer, giving the company and the Retail Provident Fund legal grounds under the Pension Funds Act to withhold his benefits.

Tribunal Backs Pension Fund

Unwilling to accept defeat, Visser escalated the matter to the Financial Services Tribunal (FST), where Judge Malesela Francis Legodi reviewed his application for reconsideration.

Judge Legodi noted that the PFA had carefully considered both sides: Visser’s financial hardship and Shoprite’s right to recover losses caused by employee misconduct.

“The fund had the discretion to withhold payment,” the judge ruled, “and did so within the boundaries of the law. The protection afforded to the employer cannot be rendered meaningless.”

The Tribunal ultimately dismissed Visser’s application, confirming that the withholding of his pension was lawful and justified.

Broader Lessons for South African Workers

The ruling has sparked discussion online about employee accountability and pension rights in South Africa’s corporate sector. Many users on X (formerly Twitter) voiced mixed feelings, some sympathised with Visser’s financial plight, while others saw it as a necessary stand against corruption.

“Pension money is not a shield against wrongdoing,” one user wrote. “You can’t benefit from dishonesty and then cry foul.”

Labour law experts say the case reinforces an important principle: employers can legally withhold or deduct pension benefits when an employee’s misconduct causes quantifiable financial loss.

A Fall From Grace

For Visser, who once managed trusted systems within one of Africa’s most successful retail groups, the outcome marks a steep fall from grace. What began as a fight for his pension has now become a cautionary tale about integrity in the workplace and how one bad decision can cost not only a job, but an entire life’s savings.

The Shoprite pension fund case isn’t just a corporate dispute, it’s a reminder that in South Africa’s tightening fight against workplace corruption, honesty isn’t just a virtue; it’s an asset worth more than any pension.

{Source: IOL}

Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter , TikTok and Instagram

For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com