Ombudsman For Long-term Insurance
Insurance in Cape Town

Dispute resolution between policyholders and life insurance companies at no cost to the complainant.

There is provision in the rules for an informal appeal process\. provided that the contracts were marketed or effected in South Africa. The Ombudsman’s Council, established in 1999, is an independent body consisting of ten members. It is answerable to neither the industry nor anyone else, and was created for the specific purpose of monitoring the independence and performance of the office of the Ombudsman. Its mandate, contained in its constitution, is to facilitate the provision by the office of the Ombudsman of independent, equitable, speedy and cost-effective resolution of disputes. For these purposes it is the Council that appoints the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman, and to further ensure the maintenance of the office’s independence and standards of performance, it receives the Ombudsman’s annual report and ongoing updates on the Ombudsman’s activities, considers its finances and statistics, approves its budget, fixes and makes changes to the office’s Rules and generally sees to it that the office fulfills its own mission. In the result the office of the Ombudsman is answerable to the Council alone, acts independently and objectively and, most important of all, is independent of the industry. Save for three who are members ex officio, the members of the Council, who are citizens of standing, are appointed in their personal capacities, but with due regard to the knowledge and skills required by the office of the Ombudsman, and the need to represent the broad public interest and promote public confidence. he or she acts independently and objectively in resolving any complaint received and takes no instructions from anybody regarding the exercise of his or her authority\. he or she follows informal, fair and cost-effective procedures\. he or she maintains confidentiality, in so far as it is feasible to do so and subject to Rule 7 below, in respect of every complaint received\. he or she co-operates with the Council established in terms of the Financial Services Ombud Schemes Act, 2004, in promoting public awareness of the existence, function and functioning of the Ombudsman and the Ombudsman’s office and in informing potential complainants of available dispute resolution forums. subscribing members act with fairness and with due regard to both the letter and the spirit of the contract between the parties and render an efficient service to those with whom they contract.