Houses this year for some North West military veterans

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Just on a hundred military veterans in North West will receive houses this year, according to the provincial human settlements department.

“The department is responsible to house military veterans in line with the Military Veterans Act,” according to a national government news site. It reports a recent military veterans housing programme project steering committee meeting in Mafikeng was updated on provincial performance in implementing the programme.

“The province had zero percent housing delivery for military veterans, allocation of stands by municipalities, bulk infrastructure and state of readiness among other challenges since 2020,” it reports.

The challenges are said to be “a concern” to Jacky Mamabolo, Deputy Director of People’s Housing Project and Military Veterans from the National Department of Human Settlements.

He wants the province to make military veterans projects priority ones “that can be immediately implemented as part of the recovery plan in the 2022/2023 financial year”.

This commitment will see 97 houses built for old soldiers at three sites in North West. They are Moses Kotane local municipality; Ganyesa, north-west of Vryburg and Lethabong, a suburb of Bojanala Platinum. A contractor for the Moses Kotane houses has reportedly been approved.

“The department is working closely with the Department of Military Veterans (DMV) on a strategy to communicate with military veterans who qualify for housing to avoid miscommunications and lack of feedback, as well as to update them on developments in the housing project,” according to Dineo Lolokwane, North West provincial Human Settlements Director: Media And Communication.

“Both the Department of Human Settlements and the DMV warn those posing as military veterans and applying for houses in municipalities to refrain. Both departments agreed a list of [e]legible beneficiaries is recorded by the DMV and are aware of fraud stars masquerading as former members. DMV further assures military veterans members a further audit to verify qualification of those who are [e]legible will be done (sic).”