The Department of Military Veterans (DMV) will mark a milestone in the preservation of South Africa’s liberation history when it hosts the launch of seven books under its Military Veterans Oral History Project.
The launch, to be held today (27 March 2025) at Freedom Park, Pretoria, will pay tribute to the voice of military veterans who played a critical role in building the country’s democracy.
The project seeks to capture and convey the lived reality of military veterans so that their contributions are recorded and their sacrifices immortalised for generations to come. Through publications, the DMV hopes to reclaim the honour of veterans, establish their identity in the country’s socio-political landscape, and offer pertinent historical documents for researchers, historians, and members of the general public.
Acting Head of Communication for the DMV, Mxolisi Mkhonza, said, “the Military Veterans Oral History Project is an important step towards acknowledging the voices of those who committed their lives to the fight for freedom.”
“These books not only keep their stories alive but also make their contributions part of South Africa’s history.”
The event will be presided over by Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Richard Mkhungo. The launch will feature stakeholders, historians, military veterans, and members of the press coming together to deliberate on how veterans have assisted in democratic transformation in South Africa.
This is not the first time the DMV has supported the publishing of books by veterans. In 2022, for example, it launched six books written by veterans documenting their experiences and participation in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa.
In addition to recording oral histories, the DMV has been proactively putting in place various programmes to aid and empower military veterans. These are:
– Education assistance: Offering scholarships and bursaries to veterans and their families to pursue higher education and skills development courses.
– Health services: Offering access to health care through military hospitals and collaboration with public and private health providers.
– Housing support: Enabling provision of homes and accommodation assistance to deserving veterans.
– Employment and Entrepreneurship programmes: Offering veterans the chance to participate in economic activities, including the funding of small ventures and preferential employment placement.
– Pension and welfare assistance: Expanding programs of financial assistance so that dependents of veterans and veterans remain in a condition of well-being.
