Programme director, Mr Ntime Skhosana
Members of the media and officials of the Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans who are part of this briefing today
In November this year, Cabinet approved the Military Veterans Bill which aims at recognising and acknowledging the historical role that Military Veterans played in the democratisation of our country.
The bill contains proposed services and benefits aimed at addressing the plight of destitute Military Veterans. These services and benefits include among other things: free health care support, housing, integrated for Military Veterans pension, Job placement, burial support and honour, subsidised access to publictransport and counselling just to mention a few.
Following the public announcement of the 2010 Military Veterans Bill, a lot of communication targeted at military veterans has been undertaken. Amongst others, this includes a media briefing by the Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Mr Thabang Makwetla held in this building towards the end of last month.
We thus urge the South African public to take full advantage of the discussions and debates that will ensue in the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans early next year on the proposed new dispensation that will govern military veterans’ affairs in South Africa.
In line with the above, we were however taken aback when we were informed by the SA Legion, an association of veterans, that there are individuals in parts of Cape Town and possibly extending to other parts of the province who have conjured a fraudulent scheme that calls on our unsuspecting Military Veterans to register with them for assistance in securing the very benefits that the bill seeks to address. According to information at our disposal, the fraudsters are alleging to be authorised by the newly established department of military veterans to charge an admin fee in order to enable unsuspecting veterans to access the proposed benefits immediately.
Furthermore, this is a very big concern for us as we have also been alerted to the fact that these people are fraudulently and unashamedly using government letterheads and are authenticating their activities by using the speech delivered by the Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Mr Thabang Makwetla to deceive veterans.
The Department of Defence (DOD) is making a call to the general public especially to our unsuspecting Military Veterans to disregard any calls, especially if there are any fees payable for the supposed assistance, to not only ignore such calls but to alert the nearest law enforcement authorities. These activities have all the signs of a scam in progress. There is no fees payable in the DOD for acquiring forms and government services like pensions. These services are available at no cost to eligible persons, including the issuing of required application forms.
We are cooperating with the law enforcement agencies to investigate the origin of this scam and we are certain that these individuals will be found and subjected to the full might of the law. They should not be allowed to steal the spirit of Christmas and the festive cheer that all South Africans and the World are enjoying.
Lastly, let me also take this rare opportunity to wish all Military Veterans, their dependents and the general public a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
I thank you.
Enquiries
Ntime Skhosana
Cell: 082 496 6875
E-mail: Ntime.skhosana @dod.mil.za
