PRESENTATION TO THE JOINT TANDING COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE WITH REGARD TO THE IMPROVEMENT AND WELLBEING OF MILITARY VETERANS IN SOUTH AFRICA ON BEHALF OF THE WVF AND SCAA OF THE WVF.

 

The World Veterans Federation (WVF), was established as an International non-governmental organization in Paris France, on the 29th of November 1950, after the conclusion of WWII.

Faithful to its Credo, which states that ”None can speak more eloquently for peace than those who have fought in war”, the WVF works toward international peace and security, the peaceful resolution of conflicts and a world of justice and human rights.

 

With its head office in Paris, France, it has consultative status at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), of the United Nations in terms of Article 71 of the Charter of the UN.

 

At present the WVF accommodate 171 Associations/ Federations from 91 countries representing approximately 35 million military veterans world wide. It groups together war veterans and victims of war from different conflicts that have occurred since WWII, and in its ranks are included also associations of former personnel of the UN peace-keeping operations.

 

South Africa has been represented in the WVF by the Council of Military Veterans Organisations (CMVO) since 1990. At present other military veterans organisations in the RSA, are encouraged to join the WVF in their own right to ensure full representivity of all South African military veterans on this International Forum. 

 

The WVF is concerned about the social and health conditions of veterans and victims of war and their dependents, as well as the State assistance for them. It endeavours to promote by all means possible, the protection of their rights and the improvement of their life.

 

During Dec 2003 South Africa hosted the 24th General Assembly of the WVF in Johannesburg. At this occasion the RSA delegation was enlarged to accommodate representatives from the CMVO, as well as representatives from the MKMVA and APLAMVA. In addition the Executive Board of the WVF, allowed South Africa as the host country, to bring 200 veterans, representing all the divergent groups of veterans in South Africa to the General Assembly as observers. At this occasion the newly established Advisory Board of Military Veterans Affairs (ABMVA) also briefed these veterans on a  number of initiatives which were receiving special attention. On of these was the urgent need for

comprehensive health care for all veterans and there dependents.

 

This issue, which was indeed also the first agenda point on the opening meeting of the ABMVA in November 2002, at the request of the then Deputy Minister of Defence Mrs. Mrs. N. Madlala Routledge, was also emphasized by the inspiring opening address of President Thabo Mbeki at the General Assembly of the WVF. While expressing his conviction that the WVF was amongst the foremost advocates of peace in the world and that the Government was very interested the outcome of its deliberations that would help the authorities to improve their performance with regard to the welfare of military veterans in South Africa. In particular he said the following: “ our country and continent have not been spared the trauma of war. Even as we speak there are a number of African countries that are not at peace. As with all military conflicts, those on our continent leave behind a haunting legacy not only of death but of war veterans who need the closest attention and support by their societies.”

At the end of the proceedings of the General Assembly the 69 countries present adopted the following Declaration on The Rights of War Veterans and Victims of War:

 

“The World Veterans Federation,

Recalling its noble aims to defend the spiritual and material interests of war veterans and victims of war, and to promote the full integration of war veterans and victims of war in their respective communities by overcoming the physical and psycho-social consequences of war;

Observes that the limiting of social and other rights of war veterans and victims of    war has become a practice in many countries and that quite often the actual protection of these rights is at minimum level;

Points out, that the victims from WWII are of an advanced age and that greater effort is necessary to facilitate material assistance and social healthcare;

Indicates also that participants in later conflicts in different parts of the world, after demobilisation, need greater support in solving many subsistence problems: medical care and rehabilitation, employment, housing and full return to civilian life; Recalling Commitment 4 par g, adopted by the World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen March 1995), which commits the participants of the summit to “Foster the social protection and full integration into the economy and society of veterans, including veterans and victims of the Second World War and other wars”; And therefore, Calls upon the United Nation Member States to undertake urgent measures providing for improvement and updating of legislation concerning war veterans and victims of war, social security, medical care and other relevant benefits; alleviation of hardships of psycho-social consequences of war and integration of war veterans and victims of war into society; adequate care for former personnel of peace-keeping and similar operations, before, during and after the mission.

Declares its readiness to continue to cooperate in this respect with the United Nations Member States on International and National Levels.”

Adopted by the General Assembly of the WVF, Johannesburg, South Africa. 6 December 2003.

 

It is important to note that this declaration was submitted to the Secretary General of the UN, and subsequently circulated to all the members countries of the UN in accordance with the ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31. 

 

No doubt the above events have created expectations from all veterans in South Africa with special reference to their health care needs.

 

Conclusion and Recommendation

 

•    Well managed health care is one of the most urgent needs of the Military veterans in South Africa and the rest of the African Continent

•    Health care for military veterans was the first item put on the Agenda of the newly established ABMVA in 2003 by the then DMOD

•    All the veterans present as observers at the GA in 2006 are expecting the authorities to provide in this urgent need.

•    The VETHEALTH managed health care model powered by GETMED satisfies all the recommendations wrt health care, as contained in the Declaration of the Rights of War Veterans and Victims of War adopted by the GA in 2003 and distributed by the ECOSOC of the UN.

•    The ABMVA recommended that the VETHEALTH managed health care model be approved by the MOD as a development program ito the MVA Act of 1999, at its meeting in November 2006.

•    The military veterans of the other member countries of the WVF in Africa are looking towards the RSA to take the lead and will propagate the proposed VETHEALTH managed health care program as presented to them at the SCAA in KL in Dec 2006, also in their respective countries.

 

 

It is recommended that the JSCOD approves the development of the VETHEALTH managed Health Care program as powered by GETMED.

 

 

 

Lt Gen D.P. Knobel

Vice-President of the WVF and Chairman of the SCAA