Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Chairperson, hon chairperson of the committee, members and comrades, dumelang magage?o [hello everyone], I stand before you as a military veteran and I greet you all in the name of those veterans who have made it possible for us to be here in this venue today. [Applause.] Our veterans are people who willingly laid down their lives for the struggle for our liberation. I emphasise this because, for many living in South Africa today, our veterans have become invisible and forgotten.
When we emerged out of 1994, the SA National Defence Force was formed to integrate all military forces from the old regime and the liberation movements. While this process underwent its own changes, the military veterans seemed to be a detached group. After coming together from all sides of the conflict, the concerns and challenges of our military veterans were seen to be addressed by the SA National Military Veterans Association, an organisation established by the Military Veterans Act of Parliament. Despite this intervention, it appeared to address the challenges of military veterans on an ad hoc basis, not holistically and not consistently across all spheres of government.
In 2009, President Jacob Zuma reconfigured the Department of Defence to include military veterans with a separate Budget Vote to address their concerns in a co-ordinated and efficient manner. While this is commendable, the challenges of fulfilling the vision of a dignified, unified, empowered and self-sufficient military veterans' community requires adequate resources to attend to the welfare of veterans who face unemployment and poverty, and have limited skills and access to special grants and health care. Upon the assent to the Military Veterans Act, the director-general of the department must make sure that an umbrella body of veterans is established.
Despite the increase in the allocation of the budget for the Department of Military Veterans over the next three years, it remains much lower than is required for the rolling out of social support for former combatants. Currently, there are approximately 57 000 beneficiaries on the military veterans' database. Support to these veterans remains uncoordinated, and benefit roll-outs are uneven.
In his Budget Speech this year, the Finance Minister indicated that the Estimates for National Expenditure show that it plans to give 16 000 veterans access to health care, provide pension and transport benefits to 15 000, and supply 7 000 veterans with housing by 2014-15. We remain hopeful that this will be carried out.
Now that the Military Veterans Act of 2011 is in place, we welcome the development of guidelines and structures to oversee the affairs of the veterans. Essentially, the Act also holds the Minister, Deputy Minister and the department responsible for ensuring that all benefits are paid or provided to military veterans.
The department will collaborate with organs of state, the private sector and strategic organs of civil society to facilitate employment opportunities for, and entrepreneur development among military veterans.
We are heartened by the recognition that the restoration of dignity and appreciation of the contribution of military veterans will be made priorities in the following areas: firstly, the provision of immediate social services to relieve distress among the most vulnerable of military veterans; secondly, the provision of comprehensive support services to military veterans and, where applicable, for their dependants, subject to the availability of resources; thirdly, the promotion of the heritage of military veterans and memorialising and honouring military veterans; fourthly, the maintenance of a credible and secure national military veterans' database; fifthly, the promotion of empowerment programmes for military veterans; sixthly, the acceleration of the delivery of benefits, as espoused in section 5 of the Act; seventhly, the empowerment of military veterans to enhance their contribution to reconciliation and nation- building; eighthly, the promotion of the military veterans' heritage; and lastly, developing, confirming and deepening the skills base of military veterans.
In setting out to achieve these objectives, it is crucial that all state departments in the three spheres, state-owned enterprises and stakeholders fast-track the provision of necessary support to military veterans in relation to benefits contained in the Military Veterans Act. We urge for there to be a budget sufficient to address all of these priorities.
Another area of great concern which we have noted is the state of the infrastructure and facilities of defence. On a site visit to the Waterkloof Air Force Base and 1 Military Hospital, Thaba Tshwane, the neglectful state of these facilities was observed. It was worrying to note the shocking state of defence facilities, many of which did not conform to the functional requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
At the Waterkloof Air Force Base, extensive repairs of the roof and the plumbing system to storage hangars, accommodation, kitchens and messes were required. Sinkholes were evident and the unsteady ground posed serious threats to the lives of personnel. A collapsed carpentry warehouse was the result of this poor maintenance. At 1 Military Hospital Thaba Tshwane, renovations were in progress, although the limited budget is hampering the Technology Revitalisation Plan. This essentially delays the acquisition of much-needed medical equipment.
Notwithstanding the ineffectual relationship between the Department of Public Works, which is responsible for the maintenance and repair of state buildings and the Department of Defence, an added problem is the allocated funding, which is insufficient to meet the set targets. Long-running concerns that the current allocation is insufficient were echoed by the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans when she stated that the inadequate budget was impacting on the SA National Defence Force's battle fitness and readiness. She was correct when she said that the SA National Defence Force's budget needed to be a matter of concern for all South Africans.
In conclusion, let me also welcome the release of the Draft 2012 Defence Review. The review sets a long-term policy and strategy agenda for defence that will set the stage for the next 30 years of defence effort. We urge the public to engage with this draft so that we may emerge out of the consultations with a sound defence policy.
Mot?wagagabo ga a laele magage?o! Ke a leboga! [Till we meet again. I thank you!] [Applause.]
The ANC supports the Budget Vote. [Applause.]