Note to editors: Please find attached soundbite by Maliyakhe Shelembe MP
Since the Military Veterans Act was enacted in 2011, Military Veterans are yet to receive their pension benefits because the Department of Military Veterans (DMV) has not published the Pension Regulations. The Pension Regulations were signed by the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Thandi Modise, on 31 July 2023.
On 20 September 2023, Minister Modise said that the benefits would be backdated to 1 April 2023 and that the amended regulations would be published in the Government Gazette. Unfortunately for the military veterans in dire circumstances, to date, the dysfunctional DMV and the Minister have still not fulfilled any of these tasks.
At the Portfolio meeting held on Wednesday, 4 October 2023, officials and the Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Thabang Makwetla, raised new concerns about the regulations that had already been signed by Minister Modise in July this year. Among the new issues was whether the pension funds will be affected retrospectively or on the date after it has been published. The signed regulations were only sent to the committee members during the Portfolio meeting held on 4 October 2023.
For 12 years, this department has been struggling to compose the Pension Regulations which has left the Military Veterans to bear the brunt, with some no longer alive to enjoy this benefit. This, while the Director General of the DMV was suspended by the Minister of Defence on 8 March 2023 and is collecting a salary every month.
The DA has since been calling for the DMV to implement the rolling out of pension benefits to the Veterans but unfortunately, it falls on deaf ANC ears. The ANC government clearly lacks appreciation for the brave men and women who dedicated their lives protecting our country’s citizens and borders, and the political will to act in their best interest. Very little has materialised of their promises and to implement consequence management.
At the Portfolio meeting yesterday, the DA was again applying pressure to have the Regulations published and the DMV made a commitment to publish the Pension Regulations on 6 October 2023.
The DA will continue to monitor this situation closely and fight for all deserving Military Veterans without fear until their entitlement is affected.