By: Carl Niehaus*
I noted with outrage and disgust the farcical so-called ‘Socio-Economic Empowerment and Industrial Participation for Liberation War Veterans’, that was held on the 3rd and 4th of November 2022 at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC). The so-called Umkhonto we Sizwe Liberation War Veterans (MKLWV), under whose auspices this illegitimate event took place, is an illegal factional parallel structure that emerged from the so-called ‘All Inclusive MK Unity Conference’, that collapsed when MKMVA officially withdrew from that illegitimate gathering.
It must be remembered that MKMVA officially registered our withdrawal from that farcical and illegitimate gathering, and informed in writing all relevant parties accordingly, which included the African National Congress (ANC) the Department of Military Veterans (DMV), the Chairperson of the Presidential Task Team for Military Veterans – Deputy President DD Mabuza, and the South African Military Veterans Association (SAMVA), among others.
MKMVA remains a juristic person, with full legal standing, representing the needs and interests of our members in all nine provinces, and is also the Association that initiated the the Military Veterans Act, Number 18 of 2011, representing the interests of military veterans.
In the letter that MKMVA wrote to the Department of Military Veterans (DMV) the NEC of the ANC, MKMVA informed the Department and the ANC that the only legal structure that exists for the advancement of the rights and demands of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) veterans is the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA). In terms of The Military Veterans Act, Number 18 of 2011, the DMV is legally compelled to recognise and fund ONLY MKMVA, and funding any other illegitimate parallel structure such as the so-called MKLWV is grossly irregular, and in fact illegal.
For the Department of Military Veterans and other government departments, and entities, to have funded the gathering that was held on the 3rd and 4th of November was therefore an act of irrationality and totally illegal.
Similarly, it was very unfortunate and wrong for government Ministers, the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), and other officials to have participated in what was a totally illegal gathering. The tax payer’s money that was spent/abused for a very expensive and useless glitzy show-off event, was wasteful expenditure, and illegal. All of those who participated in this illegal event exposed themselves to ultimately be charged for having participated in an illegal, criminal, and fraudulent event.
The Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association NEC presented to the Department of Military Veterans (DMV) our annual Programme of Action (POA), which the DMV is in terms of the Military Veterans Act, Number 18 of 2011, legally compelled to fund. Despite this legal obligation the DMV, totally ignored our MKMVA Programme of Action (PoA), and failed to provide any funding.
Such omission/refusal is totally illegal, and criminal. In fact such illegality and criminality is now compounded by the DMV irregularly funding programmes/activities of the MKLWV, such as the referred to gathering.
Already on the 14th of June 2022 MKMVA formally wrote to the Public Protector (PP), Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, about our serious concerns regarding maladministration and improper conduct by The Department of Military Veterans (DMV). It must be emphasised that we did so in our capacity as the only legal Association representing the interests of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Military Veterans.
Among other concerns MKMVA raised:
That there has been illegal and unauthorised transfers of monies of Military Veterans Association’s funds to the Freedom Park for the planning and hosting of events, while the Department the DMV actually has the capacity to organise such events.
That the DMV funds structures and programmes that are not officially recognised as prescribed by the Military Veterans Act, Number 18, of 2011. MKMVA pointed out that these actions of illegitimate funding happen at the expense of officially recognised Associations, such as MKMVA and others, and our legitimate programmes.
It was further pointed out that the DMV has negligently abandoned, and collapsed, a tertiary education program developed in conjunction with the University of South Africa (UNISA). This is a program that was specifically meant to empower military veterans, and our dependents/families.
Furthermore there has been a very dubious process of procurement of laptops that were meant to be donated to military veterans as part of enhancing their IT skills, and overall educational empowerment.
The DMV also totally irregularly appointed a travel agency for reasons that apparently have more to do with friendship and patronage in the top management of DMV, rather than competence, and which in fact have absolutely no skills to service the community of military veterans and our legitimate Associations nationally.
The DMV appointed a service provider to do the registration for the so-called ‘All Inclusive MK Unity Conference’, with no skills, nor any capacity. This led to the emergency appointment of another service provider on the same day that registration for that aborted conference had to commence. This resulted once again in wasteful expenditure.
In addition to these very serious complaints that are still under investigation by the Office of the Public Protector, one must now very pertinently and strongly register concern and outrage about the wasteful expenditure by the DMV, and other government departments and entities, for the illegal gathering hosted by the MKLWV on the 3rd and 4th of November.
In addition to our referred to official letter of complaint from MKMVA that is already under investigation by the Office of the Public Protector (PP), an official complaint about this illegal event will now be added.
It is an outrage and tragedy that while MK military veterans are languishing in abject poverty, and the Presidential Task Team for Military Veterans has until now dismally failed to address the true concerns and urgent needs of MK military veterans, huge amounts of moneys continue to be misappropriated and abused for the aggrandisement and glorification for self-appointed illegitimate so-called leaders, arrogantly lording over illegal structures.
As concerned members of MKMVA we certainly cannot allow such callousness to go unchallenged and unpunished! No stone must be left unturned to get to the bottom of where the huge lucrative sponsorships and extravagant government spending originated from, who benefitted from it, and who approved such an outrage.
MKMVA will proceed with urgent and detailed investigations about everything that led up to, and happened during the event on the 3rd and 4th of November at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC). These will no doubt lead to criminal charges being brought against the organisers, and others involved.
The continuing abuse and exploitation of us as MK military veterans for reasons that have nothing to do with the acknowledgement and empowerment of MK veterans, but for the aggrandisement of an elite, and the promotion of factional political objectives, must once and for all come to an end. We will uncompromisingly, and head-on, challenge those who disregard and exploit us in this manner. Enough is enough!
A LUTA CONTINUA!
*Ambassador Carl Niehaus is an ANC veteran of 43 years of uninterrupted ANC membership. He is a former member of the ANC NEC, and former SA ambassador to The Netherlands. He is an NEC member, and National Spokesperson, of MKMVA. Ambassador Niehaus was given the Zulu warrior name of ‘Mpangazitha’ by the Executive Council of the Injeje yabeNGUNI Council in recognition of his dedication in fighting against the enemies of the people of South Africa.
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