The Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Mr Thabang Makwetla accompanied by the Acting Premier of the Western Cape, Mr Albert Fritz and the Director General of the Department of Military Veterans, Mr Tsepe Motumi will on the 19 November 2013 form part of the Department of Military Veterans' national health care cards campaign that is aimed at providing health care support to 261 former soldiers.
The Military Veterans Act of 18 2011, defines a military veteran as any South African who rendered military service to any of the military organisations, statutory and non-statutory, which were involved on all sides of South Africa's liberation war from 1960 to 1994 and the Act also enjoins the state to provide the following benefits and services to military veterans , namely, education, training and skills development, access to health care, housing, burial support and facilitation of employment placement
The department has set aside more than 2 million for the provision of health care cards that will enable eligible military veterans to access South African Medical Health Services (SAMHS) without charge.
The theme of the campaign is “Your health is our concern” and it seeks to distribute 4800 healthcare cards to military veterans across the country from the 15th October to 4th December 2013.Thus far more than 1800 healthcare cards have been distributed in KZN, Limpopo, North West, Nelspruit and the Free State.
During tomorrow's campaign, military veterans will be provided with free health screening that includes among others, HIV, chronic diseases and eye testing.
Those who will be receiving these services should bring along the following documents: an ID, proof of income if employed, (or affidavit if unemployed), and the membership letter they have received from the Department of Military Veterans.
The details are as follows:
Date: 19 to 20 November 2013
Venue: SAI 9 Battalion, Cape Town Sick Bay
Time: 09h00 to 16h00
Media enquiries:
Lebogang Mothapa: Head of Communication
Cell: 076 865 7188
Mbulelo Musi,
Cell: 082 338 3890
