On Wednesday, Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Thabang Makwetla urged military veterans to apply for the newly-introduced monthly pension grant that he said has been introduced by the government to improve the lives of the military veterans.
Makwetla said initially the pension fund was R4 900 but it is now R5100 because of the increase granted by the Treasury effective from April 1.
Makwetla said despite having over 80 000 military veterans on their database not all of them will qualify for the pension benefit.
“On the database of the military veterans we have just upwards of 80 000. It was 82 000 the last time I checked. This is of all people who have at one stage or another belonged to one or the other organisations that were integrated into the SANDF in 1994,” said Makwetla.
Makwetla said only those who are not receiving any money from the government will qualify for this pension fund and they should through the Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA) at their nearest branches.
Scores of military veterans have been struggling to make ends meet and following promises of free housing and other subsidies, some resorted to the streets in protest against the government’s failure to fulfill its promises.
In 2021, members of the Liberation Struggle War Veterans went on the rampage and demanded among others a gratuity payment of R4,2 million each, agricultural land, a financial institution that would provide veterans with funding to start businesses and support to grow the business.
At the time, the stalemate between veterans and government resulted in the “hostage” of the then Defence Minister, Thandi Modise, Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, and Deputy Defence Minister, Thabang Makwetla. But the charges against the military veterans were later withdrawn.
Makwetla said there was political intervention from the presidency that has made it possible to have the financial resources augmented such that this pension can now be paid out, Makwetla said.
