Order, hon members!
MR M G E HENDRICKS: Hon Chair, our defence force has done amazing work outside South Africa and they will do amazing work on the Cape Flats, even addressing some of the socioeconomic challenges. Al Jama-Ah supports the budget and the call by the Minister for more financial support. Hon Minister, thank you for looking at the neglect of benefits of our non- statutory forces who are also military veterans. Settle on the definition on Mandela Day, it can only take 67 minutes. We are battle-ready; we must be definition ready. We cannot delay and neglect the military veterans because we cannot arrive at a definition.
My community is in shock after the court martial of one of his heroes who have been a member of the defence for a decade. We are comforted by your swift action hon Minister. Hon Chief of the Defence Force, win back the hearts of the Muslim community and also do so on Mandela day with a further word of comfort. It will also take you 67 minutes. My mom ran two safe houses with me at the side, 10 years old during the Treason and Rivonia Trial in District Six mainly for gougers who visited their sons on Robben Island. She survived harsh interrogation at the age of 65, 25 years later in the hay days of the UDF and she refused to
remove her "doekie". She would not have survived the disrespect for a fundamental pillar of her faith after liberation.
Hon Marais reminded the defence force to protect the territorial integrity of South Africa. We have lost parts of the country to criminals according to the Minister of Police. Win it back on the Cape Flats, so that our hon President and your commander in chief can rule the whole country and not only part of the country. Thank you very much. [Applause].
MR M L SHELEMBE: Hon Chair, firstly the DA notes the budget to the Department of Defence and Military Veterans of R662,6 million, which is more than the R627,1 million allocations of 2018 and 2019. The allocation of R87,5 million on sub programme 2, to deal with health care and wellbeing support, is questionable. How is it going to be spent, since the Department of Military Veterans has clearly stated that the government has prioritized the provision of health care services to the citizens of this country, but there are still challenges with regard to the model being used, which is not viable or user friendly. While the Department of Military Veterans plans to
improve their access to benefits through other models of service delivery, such as intergovernmental elations where access to health care occurs via other organs of the state, the question remains: What other models of delivery will be used and what will be the cost implications be?
Internationally it is the standard principle that defence force members who risk physical, psychological and social exposure, injuries or death in service of their country, depend on a dedicated health service that is guaranteed, comprehensive and available anywhere, at all times. This international norm places a moral obligation to our country to guarantee provision of military health services that render continuous operational health.
The ANC must be ashamed that it is still failing to fulfil its obligation in this regard. One of the failures of the department under the ANC-led government is the verification and finalization of the Military Veterans Database, which is required in terms of Section 1 of the Military Veterans Act, no 18 of 393 This Act qualifies Veterans for access to these
benefits. It concerns us that the department had reported that there are persons on the database that should not be there, and surprisingly, the department has decreased the allocation of sub programme 1, which deals with this very database and benefits management by R900 O00. The Department in its 2019/20 Annual Performance Plan has shown that more than 40 000 military veterans have not updated their locations since their inclusion on the database.
This makes geo-location mapping difficult for planning of their benefits. The DA is also concerned about the ANC government's failure to sort out the lack of leadership stability in the department as well as the filling of vacancies as per staff requirements, which will further delay the finalisation of the Military Veterans Database.
The Department has an approved staff establishment of 169 permanent positions, but only 138 that are filled. Minister, stand up and sort out the leadership instability in this department. Your delay to appoint the Director General is failing the department. Again, it is noted with great concern
that since the establishment of the Department of Defence and Military Veterans in 2011 no progress has been made on the poor performance of transport and pensions The ANC must be held accountable for this, as it has failed to appoint the Director- General in this Department. We cannot continue to allow conditions which make life difficult for the military veterans who have played a vital role in protecting our country and economy. The DA is committed to building a South Africa where our military veterans are treated with dignity. Thank you.