Crisis at the Department of Military Veterans: Allegations of corruption and dysfunction

702's Clement Manyathela is joined by EFF National Assembly member, Carl Niehaus.

Listen below:

The Department of Military Veterans is under fire, accused of becoming a refuge for the politically connected and unemployed.

Allegations of financial misconduct, corruption, chronic delays in processing benefits, and constant turnover in senior leadership have cast a long shadow over the institution.

According to Carl Niehaus, the Department of Defence overall is facing a 'very serious crisis' and urgent intervention may be the only way forward.

"I've warned...that the Department of Defence is in the throes of collapse."

- Carl Niehaus, EFF MP/ Member -  Joint Standing Committee on Defence & Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans

"The acting director-general, Miss Mafu, should immediatley be suspended on the basis of detailed information that we have about corruption and maladminsitration from her side and other senior members of her department."

- Carl Niehaus, EFF MP/ Member -  Joint Standing Committee on Defence & Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans

Niehaus adds that the committee plans to engage with the Presidential Task Team on Military Veterans to explore possible interventions before moving forward with the recommendation to place the department under administration.

Additionally, he calls 'disastrous' the deployment of SANDF troops to the DRC in December 2023.

"We didn't have the equipment to back up our troops in the DRC, we didn't have the resources, our troops were not adequatley trained."

- Carl Niehaus, EFF MP/ Member -  Joint Standing Committee on Defence & Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans

Fourteen SANDF soldiers were killed in the conflict earlier this year.

"The result of all of this, means that we need to have an urgent intervention to turn the Department of Defence around."

- Carl Niehaus, EFF MP/ Member -  Joint Standing Committee on Defence & Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans