Responding to the needs of South African military veterans through the provision of benefits.

Abstract

For the better part of freedom and democracy, the contribution and sacrifices of military veterans has been largely neglected and this is supported by the little research that deals with military veteran benefits and the provisioning of these benefits. It is upon this background that the study attempted to ascertain the meaning of military benefits and how the Department of Military Veterans (DMV) ensures the roll-out of benefits to the military veteran’s community. To determine the variations between human needs and the importance of the needs to human functioning, the study utilized Lawrence Hamilton’s (2003) Human Needs Theory. The data was derived from a Needs Analysis Study conducted by the DMV. The findings revealed a number of factors affecting the provisioning of benefits by the DMV. These factors centre on the capacitation of the DMV, the role of umbrella bodies and the overall participation of military veteran’s in development agenda’s. The thesis concluded by making recommendations which look at bettering the delivery of services to military veterans while at the same time empowering the military veterans segment so that military veterans do not feel disenfranchised within society.