MK vets to stage protest at military veterans head office over verification process

MK veterans will stage a protest at the head office of the department of military veterans in Pretoria on Friday to raise concerns about the Database Verification process.

This was announced by disbanded uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association former spokesperson Carl Niehaus, in response to Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise’s letter, which he said he received on Wednesday.

Niehaus had written a formal complaint to the Defence Ministry relating to the manner in which interviews of military veterans of MK were conducted by the Database Verification Committee last week.

This after a report by The Citizen revealed “Niehaus was apparently never really trained as a freedom fighter in the ANC’s Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) military wing, despite having served time as a political prisoner”.

The veterans verification panel, chaired by retired General Enoch Mashoala, confirmed to The Citizen that Niehaus failed the verification test on Monday in East London, Eastern Cape.

Niehaus has denied that he was not trained as a freedom fighter in the MK.

READ MORE: Carl the toy soldier? Niehaus fails Umkhonto we Sizwe credentials test

In a statement on Wednesday, Niehaus said he had forwarded Modise’s letter to his attorneys “and they will advise me concerning any further responses that may be required regarding the legal issues involved”.

He said that he was not the only MK vet who had concerns about the database verification process and a march would ensue as a result.

“MK Veterans will march to and gather at the head office of the department of military veterans in Pretoria to raise our concerns about the serious inadequacies of the Database Verification process, and how it results in terrible disregard for and insults MK veterans, especially the self defence units and internal MK machinery that have always been an integral part of Umkhonto we Sizwe. I will participate in that protest gathering together with my fellow MK comrades,” said Niehaus.

He did say, however, that Modise in her letter undertakes to address his complaints and that the matter will also be included in the progress report to the Presidential Task Team, chaired by Deputy President David Mabuza.

ALSO READ: Niehaus sticks to his guns as he reacts to ‘Toy Soldier’ allegations

“As Umkhonto we Sizwe military veterans, we have dedicated our lives to the liberation of our country. We have a sacred right to be treated with dignity, fairness and respect, especially by a fellow MK combatant such as Minister Thandi Modise, who has absolutely no excuse t fail to understand our serious challenges and history. She of all people has a revolutionary responsibility to respond to the fullest in the most adequate way to our plight,” said Niehaus.