The South African Presidential Task Team on Military Veterans (PTTMV), chaired by Deputy President Paul Mashatile, notes “about 3 091 qualifying military veterans” have received pensions.
This, according to a statement issued post Friday’s PTTMV meeting, “demonstrates a steady progress” in the pension roll-out process, along with other benefits for old soldiers, administered by the Department of Military Veterans (DMV). The statement notes further the DMV was directed to fast track the roll-out process and ensure all veterans who qualify receive benefits due to them.
Reports on seven work streams established to aid in streamlining the work aimed at providing essential support to military veterans were tabled at the PTTMV meeting. The streams focus on an organisational redesign of the DMV; a review of legislation pertinent to military veterans; cleansing, enhancement and verification of the DMV database; socio-economic support; pensions and benefits; heritage, memorialisation and burial support as well as communication.
The figure of “about 3 091” veterans is substantially more than what UmKhonto we Sizwe Party (MKP) National Assembly (NA) public representative Des van Rooyen was told in response to a Parliamentary question in September – an indication of progress. He was told 1 232 military veterans received their pensions by the end of June.
The PTTMV, according to the statement, further noted that the implementing department had registered some significant progress with regards to the process to redesign its organisational structure, guided by the aim to strengthen internal capacity to address the misalignment and ensure that the department provides adequate services to military veterans”
On memorialisation, specifically the exile repatriation project, the PTTMV noted its successful implementation in September when the mortal remains of MK fighters arrived in South Africa at Air Force Base (AFB) Waterkloof from Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In summary, the statement has Mashatile saying important work has been done to date and plans to address the plight of military veterans have to be accelerated.
An upcoming Summit of the South African Military Association (SAMVA) will provide a platform to report back on the work done since the establishment of the Presidential Task Team on Military Veterans.
