The military veteran component of Minister Angie Motshekga’s portfolio and specifically its lack of leadership is now on record in an effort to spur action at an under-performing Department of Military Veterans (DMV).
Maliyakhe Shelembe who, along with Chris Hattingh, forms the Democratic Alliance (DA) defence and military veterans’ oversight team, put pen to paper – as it were – following the recent Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (PCDMV) meeting in Cape Town. A DMV presentation prompted committee chair, Dakota Legoete, to ask why old soldiers weren’t being paid pensions, why the delay in building houses for military veterans and why the DMV was returning unspent funding to National Treasury. That this situation existed 13 years after military veterans’ legislation was put on the Statute Book was “unacceptable” he said.
Post the meeting, where he raised the lack of leadership issue, Shelembe called for the “immediate appointment” of a director general. This in view of the current DMV senior staffer being an acting appointment, having replaced Irene Mpolweni, who resigned in February after being suspended regarding corruption allegations. Nontobeko Mafu is the fourth acting/interim appointment going back to Max Ozinsky in 2017 who was followed by retired SA Army lieutenant general Derrick Mgwebi and former SA Navy chief Mosiwa Hlongwane as acting/interim DMV directors general with Mpolweni a permanent appointment in April 2021.
Shelembe maintains the DMV has to have a director general: “This position is critical for fulfilling the department’s statutory and constitutional obligations to support military veterans and their dependents. Since the enactment of the Military Veterans Act in 2011, the department has consistently failed to deliver essential services such as healthcare, housing, education, counselling, employment placement and pensions to veterans”.
“These failures severely impact the lives of veterans who have dedicated themselves to protecting our country, its economy, and its citizens.
“The DMV has failed to realise its vision of a dignified, united, empowered and self-sufficient veterans’ community,” Shelembe said, adding his party was “deeply concerned” the ongoing delay in appointing a permanent director general “will further jeopardise the livelihoods of military veterans”.
“The rollout of pension benefits remains slow, veterans face excessive delays in receiving updates on their applications, and calls to support centres go unanswered. This neglect of those who served our country is unacceptable. I have sent a written question to the Minister, demanding to know when the Director-General will be appointed, as there is currently no one accountable for the Department’s failure to meet its legal obligations,” he said.
