South Africa’s military veterans are demanding jobs, business opportunities and land – and they say if these demands are not met they will go on to the streets for “unparalleled” mass action.
The SA National Military Veterans Association (SANMVA), formed in 1998 by former Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota, says the promise of the Military Veterans Act, which was passed at the end of last year, has rung hollow because it was not adequately funded.
And now the veterans, comprising former members of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the Azanian People’s Liberation Army, Azanian National Liberation Army and soldiers of the former bantustans, have placed Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in their crosshairs.
The veterans are demanding bursaries, “access to business opportunities” and a “revolutionary approach” to land reform that ignores the willing selling, willing buyer principle.
If this was not adhered to, the military vets have promised to make April a month of “unparalleled mass action”.
SANMVA spokesman Kebby Maphatsoe promised that South Africa’s military vets would march on Parliament to voice their anger at the move by the Treasury.
“I was sitting in the ministerial task team. We sent the (Military Veterans) bill to Parliament, it was returned and we were told that there was no budget (to fund it),” said Maphatsoe.
He said the reversal came after several promises from politicians like Deputy Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thabang Makwetla, himself a former MK vet, who promised that by April “all our problems will be solved”.
“The R1.6 billion… was promised for the implementation of the act – for deliverables – but instead the Treasury didn’t give the Department of Military Veterans this money.
“It only funded their operational budget,” said Maphatsoe.
This was the last straw for the veterans, with Maphatsoe saying: “We’ve been quiet and patient for 18 years.”
“If the Treasury can fund e-tolling by R5bn, which was not budgeted for, why can’t they find R1.6bn for military veterans?” said Maphatsoe.
On the issue of land reform, he said almost 100 years after the passage of the 1913 Land Act which brought about the status quo, not much had changed under an ANC government.
Former MK member Faizal Moosa, who still keeps in touch with many of his former comrades, said veterans of South Africa’s armed struggle were not getting adequate support, even after the passing of the Military Veterans Act.
“Veterans have been forgotten. They are sitting around in shebeens and drug houses.
“They are not coping very well, they don’t have support mechanisms,” said Moosa.
Director-General for Military Veterans Motumi Tsepe said the act’s funding would be progressive, and he said he was surprised at statements from the military vets. “We had a workshop with them (SANMVA) to inform them of what the government was doing a few days ago, but we cannot control what they say.”
Tsepe said the department was delivering, albeit on a small scale, as it was giving military veterans access to health and medical services.
“All the benefits that military veterans are entitled to, there’s already work being done on that,” said Tsepe.
