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The Democratic Alliance (DA) believes that the Umkhonto We Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) should immediately give back R5 million of taxpayer’s money being spent on the Umkhonto We Sizwe’s 50th anniversary celebrations on 16 December 2011.

The Military Veterans Department have reportedly confirmed that the R5 million will be spent on transport, accommodation and meals for participants at the anniversary celebrations, to be held at Orlando Stadium.

However, Ayanda Dlodo, General Secretary of the MKMVA, reportedly claimed that the R5million was not enough. There is every prospect that the Military Veterans Department will be squeezed for further funding by the MKMVA.

The MKMVA, under Kebby Maphatsoe, is in a shambles with the association’s leadership being accused of “massive looting of funds” relating to fraud and theft of up to R7 million. When the MKMVA were not able to raise sufficient funds for their 50th anniversary celebrations they evidently turned to the Department of Military Veterans, for help.

The Military Veterans Department were wrong to provide funding for Umkhonto We Sizwe’s 50th anniversary celebrations on 16 December 2011.

The department should ensure that public funds actually benefit military veterans. The department could have provided 60 houses for military veterans with the R5 million being spent on Umkhonto We Sizwe’s celebrations.

The fact is that the department should be spending money on actual benefits for all military veterans, such as health, housing and skills development. But instead they are spending money on non-benefits such as transport, accommodation and meals for some military veterans to attend a celebration.

This is simply wrong.

If the MKMVA were not able to fully fund their 50th anniversary celebrations, they should have raised more money or scaled back their activity, rather than approaching the Military Veterans Department for public funds.

There is still time for MKMVA to do the right thing and give back the R5million to the department.

It will be a great pity if Umkhonto We Sizwe’s 50th anniversary celebrations on 16 December 2011 are mired in controversy.

The DA, therefore, calls on Kebby Maphatsoe give back the R5 million to the Department of Military Veterans.

We cannot sit back and allow this department to bankroll Umkhonto We Sizwe’s 50th anniversary celebrations on 16 December 2011