The Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans has welcomed a report that the Department of Defence (DOD) and the Government Pension Administration Agency (GPAA) were ready to start paying pension benefits to qualifying Military Veterans.

The GPAA told the committee that the Minister of Defence published the pension regulations for public comments last year, and final regulations were signed in July this year and once gazetted and publicized, the GPAA would then proceed with pay-outs. The GPAA told the committee that 15,000 applications were received and have since risen to about 16,000, and that it was happy that the Military Veterans Appeal Board (MVAB) was in place for those who might be rejected to lodge their appeals.

The committee requested to be furnished with the names of members that will make up the appeal board. The committee further welcomed the setting up of an MVAB as a form of recourse for those who will be rejected by the system. The committee also recommended that the Minister of Defence must amend the date on the current Gazette to include the 1st of April 2023 as a date to effect payments. The committee requested that it be provided with a copy of the final gazette once amended.

The committee also received a progress update regarding the Umzimvubu Regiment reserves that were called up and deployed during the July 2021 unrest and the maladministration that followed. It was told that a total of 113 out of 196 enlisted members have received their payments whilst the matter of the 619 who did not meet the requirement as reserves was receiving attention and that they would be considered for some compensation.

The committee resolved to apply for permission to have a follow-up meeting during the constituency period to receive progress reports on matters presented during today's meeting.