Military held successful conference

The West Rand District Municipality (WRDM) played host to the second South African National Military Veterans Association (SANMVA) conference during the second week of February.

The invitation was extended to all qualifying associations as defined by the military veterans Act of 2011. Those in attendance included delegates from veterans of Azanian People’s Liberation Army (APLA), Azanian National Liberation Army (AZANLA), the Council of Military Veterans and the ANC’s Umkhonto we Sizwe.

The proceedings were conducted by Battalions Mnqube and Fuduwa from the provincial executive committee of SANMVA Gauteng.

Opening the conference in his capacity as SANMVA Gauteng chairperson, Battalion Mnqube outlined the following achievements:

• The gradual access to housing for veterans and their dependents

• Improvements in the number of veterans now benefiting from government medical aid and access to health facilities

He also lamented the fact that contrary to the commitment to provide business opportunities and employment, veterans still are struggling in these areas. But Mnqube reassured all present that there are ongoing engagements with government and relevant stakeholders to addresses the challenges.

The conference ended with the election of SANMVA West Rand leadership. The new office bearers are Des van Rooyen as chairperson and Khotso Mokonyane as deputy chair.

Satch Mkhwanazi is the secretary with Sipho Mkhwana as his deputy. Gboy Madondo will be responsible for the association’s finances.

The new leadership under Van Rooyen is committed to ensuring that all is put in place to effectively address issues affecting military veterans. According to Van Rooyen the establishment of a metro in the area should be supported as he views it as a relevant vehicle to assist ex-combatants.