Housing initiative for Cape Corps

GEORGE NEWS - The East Housing Development in Pacaltsdorp Erf 325 makes provision for 60 units for military veterans of the South African Cape Corps (SACC), a project that has been awaited for years with great expectations.

The project is now definitely on the horizon, according to George Municipality's communications chief Chantel Edwards.

She told George Herald that the Provincial Department of Human Settle-ments, which is responsible for the implementation of the project, has indicated that they are currently preparing the tender for the appointment of a contractor.

Their aim is to make the appointment by March 2023.

John Bruinders, South African Cape Corps Military Veterans Association (SACCMVA) Western Cape chairman, said the initiative is long overdue and he welcomed the fact that there is more certainty now. He said the association has been reaching out to the municipality since 2017 in regard to a housing initiative, and the George Council approved such a development.

"But the tedious red tape and/or political interference prolonged the progress."

Many ex-SACC members are backyard dwellers and their living conditions are terrible. "I feel the building of houses for them must be a priority in George and the province.

"The Military Veterans Act puts the responsibility on government departments to restore the dignity of all military veterans."

Bruinders thanked the department and Human Settlements Portfolio Councillor Bazil Petrus for his intervention, expressing the hope that the project will now gain momentum fast. "The veterans really deserve better treatment and decent circumstances as they served the country at large during the prime of their lives."

SACCMVA represents former members of the SACC who were deployed to countries such as Angola during the Bush War from 1966 to 1989. "Most of the SACC members could unfortunately not be integrated into the then South African Defense Force (SADF) and did not receive assistance in being re-skilled or being given alternative employment. They struggled to get recog-nition and also to be integrated into the South African National Military Veterans Association," said Bruinders.

Benefits for veterans

The association has made great strides in assisting members to obtain access to most of the benefits of the Department of Military Veterans (DMV). These include database registration, health, housing, education support, and skills development.

SACCMVA received recognition by the DMV in 2018.

"Since then, the association has gone from strength to strength and showed that it is serious about the interests of former SACC soldiers. Our member base has grown significantly and we are now entering the digital world with the official website steadily in progress. We are also the watchdogs to ensure the government does not promulgate discriminatory policies and regulations which create disparity and apartheid," said Bruinders.