THE uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans in KwaZulu-Natal has suspended discussions with the provincial MEC for human settlement and public works Maggie Govender after a fallout over housing for former soldiers.
The MKVA held its first PEC lekgotla at the weekend and resolved to engage the provincial leadership of the ANC on this particular issue and others that remain a grave concern for them.
Provincial chairperson Themba Mavundla said the purpose of the lekgotla was to review how to rebuild the MKVA so that it can deal with challenges faced by former soldiers.
"It is clear that we will need government intervention with what we have to achieve.
"We have strategic documents on what our immediate needs are, which include the issue of houses, unemployment, access to healthcare and other measures," Mavundla said.
He said -they were concerned since many soldiers do not have houses and live with their parents despite their contribution to the liberation of the country.
"In our extensive engagement with Govender, we failed to reach consensus since she promised to help us with RDP houses," Mavundla said.
"We made it clear that we do not want RDP houses but proper ones and suspended further negotiations with her department. We then resolved to engage the ANC directly and we will soon have bilateral talks with the party."
He said they had agreed that the families of current and former soldiers need to receive social grants since they have no means of providing for them.
He also said they agreed that there was a need for former soldiers to receive counselling as the war still haunts them.
"We also agreed that we need jobs, access to healthcare and that children of former soldiers must get bursaries."
Talks with MEC Govender over MK veterans' future deadlocked
THE uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans in KwaZulu-Natal has suspended discussions with the provincial MEC for human settlement and public works Maggie Govender after a fallout over housing for former soldiers.
The MKVA held its first PEC lekgotla at the weekend and resolved to engage the provincial leadership of the ANC on this particular issue and others that remain a grave concern for them.
Provincial chairperson Themba Mavundla said the purpose of the lekgotla was to review how to rebuild the MKVA so that it can deal with challenges faced by former soldiers.
"It is clear that we will need government intervention with what we have to achieve.
"We have strategic documents on what our immediate needs are, which include the issue of houses, unemployment, access to healthcare and other measures," Mavundla said.
He said -they were concerned since many soldiers do not have houses and live with their parents despite their contribution to the liberation of the country.
"In our extensive engagement with Govender, we failed to reach consensus since she promised to help us with RDP houses," Mavundla said.
"We made it clear that we do not want RDP houses but proper ones and suspended further negotiations with her department. We then resolved to engage the ANC directly and we will soon have bilateral talks with the party."
He said they had agreed that the families of current and former soldiers need to receive social grants since they have no means of providing for them.
He also said they agreed that there was a need for former soldiers to receive counselling as the war still haunts them.
"We also agreed that we need jobs, access to healthcare and that children of former soldiers must get bursaries."
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