Cape Town - Deputy President David Mabuza has promised they will resolve all the problems faced by military veterans and has urged them to contribute to amendments to a law dealing with their benefits.
Mabuza says they acknowledge the pace of addressing the issue of benefits of military veterans has dragged on for too long, but this will come to an end.
He says the task team, which he chairs, that has been appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa is engaging with all military veterans.
Mabuza, who was on his fifth leg of meetings with the military veterans in Bloemfontein on Thursday, said the government realised the need to resolve the issue of benefits urgently.
It is in the interests of the State and the veterans to find a lasting solution.
A week ago Mabuza met with the military veterans in the North West where he committed to addressing the issues they faced.
He also said the issue of pensions has been resolved and they will start getting it.
In the Free State, he said they were determined to see the veterans get all their benefits with their dependants.
He said they wanted to speed up the pace to resolve the issues facing the veterans.
“Brick by brick, step by step we are going to resolve your challenges. We are going to improve our institutional arrangements so that the Department of Military Veterans works together with the province and municipalities. As we plan, municipalities will know what we plan for military veterans.
“The province will know about what we plan for military veterans. The stories that we hear about your suffering cannot be allowed to persist, this cannot be allowed to continue. There are benefits that have been outlined in the Act that are due to you. But this Act, we thought that it must be amended so that it includes everything. You must find time and contribute to that amendment to say how this Act should look like.
“We must try very hard we deliver these benefits and even beyond the amendments of the Act we must try very hard,” Mabuza said.
He assured the military veterans they will succeed in their endeavour to deliver on the benefits.
He added the Department of Military Veterans will be beefed up to meet these challenges and provide all the necessary services.
Mabuza has over the last few months been moving between provinces to meet with the military veterans.
Political Bureau