There is clear evidence the Department of Military Veterans is in meltdown

01 October 2014

Today the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, informed Parliament that she is unable to table the annual report, financial statements and audit report of the Department of Military Veterans.

The delay in tabling reports is clear evidence that the Department of Military Veterans is in meltdown.

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, was informed by the Minister in a letter, dated 30 September 2014, that the Department of Military Veteran's annual report, financial statements and audit report could not be tabled in Parliament in accordance with Section 65 (1) of the Public Finance Management Act (No. 29 of 1999).

The reports could not be tabled because, according to the Minister, the Department of Military Veteran's Chief Financial Officer had been placed on special leave on 01 August 2014, pending disciplinary action, which delayed the finalisation of the reports.

This comes after the Minister conceded, replying to a parliamentary question, that the Director-General of the Department of Military Veterans, Tsepe Motumi, had been issued with a final warning following the outcome of an internal forensic investigation into allegations of procurement irregularities in the Department of Military Veterans.

The Department of Military Veterans is in such shambles that it is not able to provide care to thousands of military veterans who are in desperate need.

I will, therefore, write to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, Mr Stanley Motimele, requesting him to: 

obtain copies of the report of the forensic investigation on procurement irregularities in the Department of Military Veterans; and 

schedule a special hearing on the current state of decline in the Department of Military Veterans.

Statement issued by Shahid Esau MP, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, October 1 2014

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter