The Department was formed by a Presidential proclamation in 2009 and it legislation only finalised in 2011 with the Military Veterans Act 18 of 2011 proclamation in December 2011. According to the legislation the DMV is supposed to be a facilitator of the 11 benefits that accrue to MVs, but due to lack of willingness and prioritisation of implementing departments, the Department took it upon themselves to disburse these benefits with limited resources and a structure that is geared to facilitate. The decision to disburse resulted in many challenges that the Department faced at the expense of military veterans who have been patient for a long time.
The Department of Military Veterans faced other challenges which added more pressure in the disbursement of many benefits to military veterans and their dependants. These included prolonged leadership vacancies (DG and DDG position) which created a vacuum and results in delayed implementation of key decision affecting benefits for MV’s.
Many military veterans are living below the current South African living wage to near destitution. Many have passed away before receiving benefits and only receiving a burial support.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these conditions to an extent the many military veterans took the challenges to themselves and marched to the Union Building on 10 November 2020 demanding to meet with President Cyril Ramaphosa. A Presidential Task Team lead by Deputy President David Mabuza was formed to tackle military veterans’ demands.
In the first meetings all Provincial Premiers were called in order to assist in amicable resolution of the challenges faced as provinces are closer to military veterans than the DMV HQ.
The deliberations that took a month were finalised in December 2020 with President Ramaphosa addressing the representatives of military veterans and a consensus document signed between the Presidential Technical Task Team and the military veterans representatives.
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