Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to issue health care cards to Military Veterans

01 December 2013

The Minister of Defence & Military Veterans Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa Nqakula, the Premier of the Eastern Cape Ms Noxolo Kievits and the Director General of Military Veterans, Mr Tsepe Motumi, will form part of the Department of Military Veterans' Health and Wellness Campaign, that is aimed at providing health care support to military veterans, on the 05th December 2013 at Buffalo Volunteer Rifles, East London.

The theme of the campaign is “Your health is our concern” and it seeks to distribute 4800 healthcare cards to military veterans across the country from the 15th October to 5th December 2013. Thus far more than 3500 health care cards have been distributed to military veterans in KZN, where the campaign was launched by the Minister of Defence & Military Veterans, Limpopo, North West, Nelspruit, Free State, Western Cape, Gauteng and the Northern Cape province.

The Department has set aside more than 2 million for the provision of health care cards that will enable eligible military veterans to access South African Medical Health Services (SAMHS) without charge. The Military Veterans Act 18 of 2011, defines a military veteran as any South African who rendered military service to any of the military organisations, statutory and non-statutory, which were involved on all sides of South Africa's Liberation War from 1960 to 1994.

During the campaign, military veterans will be provided with free health screening that includes among others, HIV, chronic diseases and eye testing. Those who will be receiving these services should bring along the following documents: an ID, proof of income if employed, (or affidavit if unemployed), and the membership letter they have received from the Department of Military Veterans.