DMV has asked for re-allocation of R185 million, some for Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

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The Department of Military Veterans (DMV) ended the year with just over R185 million of its allocated funding unspent but asked National Treasury to re-allocate the money so that obligations can be met.

In its annual report DMV director general and accounting officer Tsepe Motumi states that the military veterans benefits regulations (MVBRs) were only gazetted in February this year “affording little time for the remaining allocated budget to be spent, hence the huge underspending”.

He goes on to point out the request for re-allocation will fund “the pre-planned IT infrastructure project that is a consequence of the legal instruments with SITA (State Information Technology Agency) as well as financing the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier”. Neither project has any specific funding information mentioned in the annual report.

As part of its task to promote the heritage of military veterans, including their memorialisation and honouring, the report notes that “in partnership with the Department of Public Works developed the design and costed (sic) the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which will be presented to Cabinet for approval”.

No mention is made of any possible location, exact cost or when work is expected to start and finish and the Ministerial foreword, provided by Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, uses the exact same wording as director general Motumi’s to describe the proposed Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.