Deputy President David Mabuza says government has overseen the finalisation of a pension policy for military veterans.
He said this when he participated in a debate on the Presidency budget vote during a sitting of the National Assembly on Thursday.
“Our country remains a shining example of how a divided past can inspire a people to forge a new collective identity.
“Even in the context of a history marked by intense conflict and fighting, our nation owes the veterans sincere gratitude for choosing peace over war. Veterans are the pillar of our nation because they sacrificed themselves for our country.
“In the same spirit of trying to maximise their contribution to our democracy, the Presidential Task Team on Military Veterans has overseen the finalisation of the pension policy for military veterans,” he said.
The Presidential Task Team (PTT) on Military Veterans has, for the past few months, led interventions to address the challenges faced by military veterans.
This comes after 56 suspects – believed to be military veterans – were arrested after allegedly holding hostage Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Thandi Modise and her deputy, Thabang Makwetla, in Tshwane in October 2021.
Since then, Deputy President David Mabuza has been holding extensive discussions with military veterans and their associations in a bid to resolve the challenges.
Addressing the National Assembly on Thursday, Mabuza said to fully implement this policy, a process is currently underway to conclude the beneficiary verification, thereby allowing for a quicker turnaround time and aiding government in managing military veterans’ records.
“We have observed that the lack of profiling of military veterans hinders the implementation of programmes designed to improve their living conditions.
“To this end, we will work together with provincial governments to expedite the profiling of Ex-Combatants in order to ensure the improvement of their welfare in accordance with the law.
“We appreciate the veterans’ willingness to collaborate with government in addressing these issues, so as to contribute to social cohesion and stability in our country.” – SAnews.gov.za
