WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2008-04-20 Time: 00:00:00 Posted By: Jan
[The Crazy loons want to repeat “Zimbabwe” here in South Africa. And this racist Government of ours will go along with it all the way. I would not be surprised if they didn’t give the orders to the “war veterans” in the same way that Mugabe issued the orders and plans in Zimbabwe originally.
Isn’t it funny that in Zimbabwe and South Africa the “War Veterans” do more fighting AFTER THE WAR than during the war? Jan]
There was no contrivance in the message of ex-combatants as they warned they could do something “undesirable” if the government does not do an immediate audit of state-controlled land and farms. They were talking about land, but the subtext was far more powerful.
The sentiment – expressed at a meeting of the Umkonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) in Durban last weekend – was not simply a reflection of the long years of neglect MK cadres have experienced. At last, the old soldiers are now stating unequivocally that the time has come for explicit recognition and support from the ANC and government. There can be no further delay.
After all, this is the month in 1979 in which Solomon Mahlangu, a remarkable soldier, walked to the gallows. Although he was to die for the murders of white civilians which he did not commit, the 23-year-old cadre faced the noose with his fist raised in salute.
The pride of his comrades in Mahlangu and in their own heroism remains. And, set against the backdrop of last month’s 20th commemoration of the Cuito Cuanavale battle, the soldiers should be feeling strong. But Polokwane has intensified their impatience. Although the veterans went to the ANC’s national conference in December with optimism, backing Jacob Zuma, too many say they can wait no longer.
The veterans’ association, which has its headquarters at Chief Albert Luthuli House in Johannesburg, has demanded “visible action” that will improve the lives of its members. Certainly they want land. But, more than anything, they seek hope, and help.
And, as the association’s secretary, Nonkonzo Molai, summarised at the Durban gathering, while it remains the duty of former soldiers to defend “until death” the ANC and the government, it demands “speedy implementation of resolutions taken by the ANC before we are forced to take actions that might be interpreted as undesirable”.
“The ANC and its government has (a) duty to take care of our needs. We, however, do not see … commitment from them.”
For many veterans, the route to this point has been tortuous. There is simply too much that is outstanding for them, 14 years after the first democratic election. And, it is not only on a socioeconomic level. On an emotional, if not spiritual level, the soldiers hurt, too. They want the remains of fighters who died in other countries returned home, rejecting the view that individual South African families should sort out the repatriation and burial of those who died for liberation.
There are hints at correction. When Zuma visited Angola for the Cuito Cuanavale meeting in March, he vowed to champion monuments for fallen MK cadres. The first time he burst out with Umshini wami – under the complex political circumstances of his personal challenges some three years ago – he was transformed into an MK soldier all over again.
Zuma’s jocular theatre was a smash hit among many whose glinting medals and Soviet camouflage had been packed away in the years of disappointment after the battle was won at the ballot box in 1994. So, they flanked their man all the way to Polokwane, where they declared their ambition for a ministry of military affairs and a presidential commission to deal with their welfare. Umshini wami – bring me my machinegun, don’t make me wait – was apt as their mantra.
Although delegates at Polokwane warmly embraced the veterans in programmes and structures, the veterans’ association was denied its dream of being a voting bloc like the Women’s League and the Youth League.
The association’s new national general secretary, Ayanda Dlodlo, is deeply sympathetic to the veterans’ continued struggles, although she urges that they must prioritise their own issues, “ensuring we play an active role in the ANC”. Under her leadership, intentions for the association are ambitious and extend outwards.
Honours, for instance, are planned for the Angolans and, specifically, their first post-independence president Agostinho Neto, who gave MK refuge for so long. Assassinated MK commander Chris Hani is to receive the highest award.
But, it is not enough and Dlodlo refuses to wallow. Until now, veterans’ affairs have largely been the responsibility of the office of the deputy defence minister. But, many believe it has been an unsatisfactory relationship, with no specific efforts to deal with their issues.
“Suitable models” for how to deal with the turmoil growing around them were once discussed with a view to international investigation in countries where war veterans are a feature of society.
Close to 1 000 veterans arrived at the veterans’ association’s third national conference held last year, three months before Polokwane. Soldiers opted strongly for the political mainstream, operating from within the revolutionary alliance. But, they want their own identity, with constitutional powers.
As enthusiasm seems to be waning in the ranks, with Polokwane moving further into the distance, many now look back on controversies, mostly riven by political alignment, which have sought to divide MK.
This has been particularly the case in the Western Cape, where a veterans’ conference hosted in December 2006 by Premier Ebrahim Rasool to establish an MVA in the region, still rankles.
It was regarded as illegitimate by the ANC’s provincial office, although many of the veterans argued they were concerned only with having their suffering alleviated.
The MVA has certainly not lost heart. It is calling on the department of agriculture to allocate land appropriately, just as was done decades ago for Boer military veterans. It asks for training. It asks for opportunity from the department of education.
It has requested a verifiable database to assist reintegration. It pleads for the Department of Social Welfare to embrace the destitute.
“We vow to make sure sacrifices were not in vain,” says Molai. But, there may be wisdom in interpreting the undeniable message in Dlodlo’s steadfastness: “We haven’t forgotten we come from war. This chapter has not yet been closed on our lives.”