The South African National Military Veterans Association took their frustration and anger to the street by protesting to Union Building in Pretoria on Wednesday.
The SANMVA is calling on the removal of the deputy minister Thabang Makwetla.
They accused the deputy minister of being conflicted and participate in factional battles of military veterans.
They were holding placards singing revolutionary songs and wear their military attire.
They hand over a memorandum of demand to the office of the presidency.
Shonisani Mudau from the office of the presidents received a memorandum.
Speaking to Secretary General of (SANMVA) South African National Military Veterans Association Tshidiso Paka told the Tshwane Talks that the military veterans decided to come together and deliver a memorandum of demand to the office of the presidents because as leadership we don’t have answers to our members and we have tried every possible way addressing their issues but no answers from the government.
There have been many marches by the military veterans to the Union Building in the past and none of the grievances have not been met to date. We fought for this country and some of us lost loved one, some of us are cripples but the government does not take care of us.
“The entire community of military veterans stands firmly in expressing the disappointment, frustration, bitterness and anger at our government failure to consider the plight of military veterans and alleviate their suffering,” Paka said.
He said they demand that department of military veterans place under administration immediately, investigate dysfunction, maladministration, fraud & corruption at DMV, payout pension to all military veterans immediately, remove of deputy minister Thabang Makwetla from all department of military veterans delegated responsibilities, disband the presidential task team with immediate effect, set up a credible verification panel to complete the process & audit database, roll-out all benefits in the act with immediate effect, stop divisive factional agenda against the community of military veterans and second personnel from national treasury to build working systems at the department of military veterans.
“We are thankful that the presidents establish the PTT, and it is a good initiative but in our understanding the PTT did not serve it purpose and we did
not see the outcome of it,” he said.
He said government does not take care of its military veterans.
The entire community of military veterans is also watching in dismay at the levels of dysfunctionality and corruption taking place at the department of military veterans.
The department has become a shining example of dysfunctionality, maladministration and corruption.
Deputy Minister is part of MKLWK and one of its leaders and he is trying to save face. The deputy minister knows very well why SANMVA hasn’t held its national elective conference.
“Our weakest link as military veterans are the department.
The department was established to deal with military veterans’ issues but it’s failing us and need to be restructures,” Masechaba Matloung.
Ponana Isaac Nyoni said we don’t want to come here, and we are tired of coming here and next time we won’t speak we will take action and it won’t be nice and we don’t want to go back to the trenches all we want is our pension money and what is due to us.
“The department can even take care of us let alone our spouse and kids and we need houses; we can’t afford to put food on the table as military veterans.
that we fought so hard for this freedom,” Nyoni said.
The government is run by people without conscience. People who decided to become sadistic and feel no shame about the suffering of the Military Veterans. Actually, the government derives pleasure from the suffering of the community of Military Veterans.
The best thing that should happen is for Thabang Makwetla to vacate every position that gives him power over the Military Veterans because his mental condition is lopsided. He thinks that he and his Military Detachment are the only Military Veterans.
The man has lost his conscience long ago and his departure will be a sigh of relief.
We as soldiers must get for what the government promises Us its a long time we did not get a cent from the army during my bosh.leave there were some.one hit my sculp broken i whas operate inTYGERBER GHOSPITAL there where plenty i lost fit soldier but til now i get nothing by the ARMY they leave me like a sak.patats my right eye.sight semi.blind im getting epilepsy the way they hit me my Parents though im gonna died but JESUS Christ The Son Of God Awoke me 1996 i get the first epilepsy i did not no what’s epilepsy that time but from that time i must live with that sick till now and still the ARMY did not gave me a cent fore the injury while i whas on duty my force number 82074253