The Department of Military Veterans

Replies by President Cyril Ramaphosa to questions for oral reply in the National Assembly

25 November 2021

QUESTION 18 – SUPPORT FOR MILITARY VETERANS

Mr T M Mmutle (ANC) to ask the President of the Republic:

(a)How far is the Presidential Task Team on Military Veterans in addressing the issues raised by the military veterans who took an unprecedented approach to highlight the challenges they are facing by holding members of the Executive hostage in Irene, Pretoria, on 14 October 2021 and
(b)what steps have been taken to respond to some of the immediate challenges raised by the military veterans?

REPLY

Honourable Members,

During the course of 2020, the Presidency received several complaints about the perceived failure of the Department of Military Veterans to provide services to military veterans.

Furthermore, a group of marchers called the Liberation Struggle War Veterans marched to the Union Buildings on the 10th of November 2020 and presented a memorandum of grievances to the Presidency.

In response, I called for a high level briefing on the plight of military veterans, the support package that military veterans are entitled to as prescribed by the Military Veterans Act of 2011, as well as gaps and shortcomings.

Following this, I appointed a Presidential Task Team on Military Veterans, chaired by Deputy President David Mabuza, to engage with military veterans on their challenges and grievances.

Since its establishment in November 2020, the Presidential Task team on Military Veterans has held several consultative engagements with various military veterans associations and a number of inter-governmental stakeholders.

Progress has been registered on the following issues:

The review of the Military Veterans Act is ongoing and expected to be taken for public comments in early 2022 and it is anticipated that the Amendment Bill will be tabled to Cabinet and Parliament in 2022.
The amendment will deal among others with the definition of a military veteran, a policy shift towards the non-statutory force members, and the provision of health care, housing and burial benefits, where appropriate, to dependents and surviving spouses of military veterans.
The process of restructuring the Department of Military Veterans has been initiated with the approval of the service delivery model and the development of a proposed structure.

The proposed structure will be finalised upon the completion of the Amendment of the Bill to ensure that the reviewed structure supports the new mandate of the Department of Military Veterans.
Provincial offices have been capacitated to assist military veterans at provincial level.
A moratorium on applications for education support has been lifted and the Department of Military Veterans is now receiving and processing new applications.
Consultations are underway on the costing and funding of the pension policy. The target date for payment is 1 April 2022.
The Verification Panel continues with the verification of military veterans who are non-statutory force members. The total number of processed applications on 16 November 2021 was 2,549.
The Department of Military Veterans has developed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture and its agencies to assist with the repatriation of remains, erection of monuments in host countries and memorialisation of fallen heroes.
The Department of Military Veterans is re-positioning its skills development and empowerment programme to ensure that military veterans participate in all government programmes that can create jobs and business and entrepreneurship opportunities.
The Department is forming partnerships with various SETAs and other state organs to assist with various skills development programmes.

The challenges faced by military veterans are many; they are complex and will require a common approach from all parts of government.

A society like ours, which owes its freedom to the sacrifices made by these gallant daughters and sons, must do everything it can to ensure that military veterans and their children are able to enjoy the fruits of the freedom that they have helped to bring about.

I thank you.