Govt to review, fast track military veterans verification process

In March, the department started with the process of verifying military veterans that were not part of the integration process during the formation of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in 1994.

This comprised members from the Azanian National Liberation Army Military Veterans Association (AZANLAMVA), Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) as well as the Azanian People's Liberation Army Military Veterans Association (APLAMVA).

The process is a significant step in the direction of ensuring that the department rolls out the social benefits stipulated in the Military Veterans Act, No 18 of 2011. Verified beneficiaries will receive a health card which will, among other things, enable them to access medical care at 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria and where possible, some will be placed for employment in other government departments.

The department on Monday said the Director General of the Department of Military Veterans Tsepe Motumi and a delegation from Military Veterans Formations agreed on the need to fast track and streamline the verification process so as to enhance the delivery of benefits to military veterans.

The Director General and APLAMVA, MKMVA and AZANLAMVA had held a meeting in Pretoria where the issue was discussed.

Motumi said: "We are extremely concerned about the continued delay of the verification process which was due to be completed by the end of August 2013. Accordingly, we are going to ensure that the process is fast tracked and concluded as soon as possible so that the DMV can focus on its main mandate of delivering benefits as stipulated in the Military Veterans Act 18 of 2011."

He said the co-operation of military veterans formations and military veterans in general, who are supposed to undergo the verification process, was critical in ensuring a speedy conclusion to the process.

The process will be suspended at the end of August so as to review and look at lessons learnt as well as to outline the fast tracking process to the verification process.

One of the areas that will be given attention is the tightening and prevention of fraudulent attempts by those who are being verified as well as those who will be accomplices to those attempts.

Thus far the verification panel has interviewed, verified and in some instances have pending cases awaiting further investigation and those who were not successful.