Kebby defends R8m funding

Newly re-elected Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans’ Association (MKMVA) president Kebby Maphatsoe, pictured, yesterday rubbished claims he had forced the department of military veterans to fork out R8 million to finance the association’s fifth elective conference.

Maphatsoe, who is also deputy minister of the military veterans department, said his organisation had proof that no one was coerced to pay for the conference earlier this month in Ekurhuleni.

According to the Sunday Times at the weekend, Maphatsoe “twisted arms” to get the department’s acting director-general, Max Ozynski, to release the R8 million.

But Maphatsoe insisted the MKMVA followed procedures in requesting funding and wrote a letter to the department.

“I did not twist the DG’s hand. I don’t have executive powers to do that even … I could have been charged by now,” he said.

“The facts are that the minister authorised funding for the conference.”

He said Ozynski wrote back to the MKMVA and said the decision on funding belonged to the council on defence and not the department.

“We do not know how the council on defence comes into the affairs of military veterans because we have a fully fledged department of military veterans established.

“He then suggested that the MKMVA and the military veterans minister (Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula) decide on the conference funding … I have all the letters here,” said Maphatsoe.

He then refuted allegations by a competing veterans grouping, the MK National Council led by former SA National Defence Force (SANDF) general Siphiwe Nyanda, that the MKMVA conference was marred by fraudulent accreditation.

The council said 60% of delegates were serving members of the SANDF, while others were former members of the apartheid-era defence force.

“On arrival at the conference, the delegates had to present their credentials and were duly registered in a professional manner. We reject the unsubstantiated allegations that the accreditation of delegates at our conference was flawed or fraudulent,” Maphatsoe said.

Both MK structures claim to represent the interests of all former anti-apartheid soldiers.

The MK council’s own elective conference is scheduled to take place in August. – ANA