Pakati brings hope to military veterans for benefits

MORE than 400 military veterans in Buffalo City Metro met with the Department of Military Veterans to discuss proposed benefits for the former soldiers.

Convening the meeting at the NU12 Community Hall in Mdantsane was the department’s deputy director-general Nontobeko Mafu, who said their budget was smaller than the demand to better the lives of former soldiers and their

She said roadshows like yesterday’s gave an opportunity to devise other means to make the lives of the veterans easier. She said the shortfall for education alone was estimated at more than R170-million.

The department allocated R155million for educational support, but it needed R334-million to support the estimated 11 600 applicants.

“We are hoping that engagements with NSFAS can birth a form families. of guaranteed free education for the beneficiaries of our veterans,” said Mafu.

The majority of veterans in attendance yesterday expressed disappointed with the roll-out of benefits by the department.

Since 2013, the department began assisting military veterans by taking in 200 students for basic and higher education. In BCM, there are 192 registered veterans, with more still in the verification process.

The department supported 4 966 veterans with basic education and 2 746 with tertiary education in the 2017 academic year.

BCM mayor Xola Pakati told the veterans the municipality was willing to assist the department in fulfilling its promise to BCM veterans, and promised new programmes that would target the veterans.

“We have tailored the recruitment of the coastal guard and marshals during our festive season and mainstream events to favour our military veterans,” said Pakati.