Pretoria:The Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans has raised concerns regarding the Department of Defence and Military Veterans' (DMV) ability to comply with a Gauteng High Court order. The order mandates the DMV to expedite the registration of military veterans and process their benefits applications promptly.

According to Parliament of South Africa, the court order was issued on March 11, 2026, following an application by the Council of Military Veterans Organisations of South Africa, representing 32 veterans’ associations. It addresses the DMV's prolonged failure to enroll eligible military veterans in the national database and handle their statutory benefits applications efficiently.

The court order requires the DMV to register qualifying veterans within 90 working days of application receipt and decide on healthcare applications within the same timeframe. Additionally, the DMV must provide full written explanations for any application rejections and refer such cases to the Appeal Board if appealed.

During a recent committee meeting, the DMV stated it was implementing the court order, including the committee's recommendations to address pending applications. However, the committee expressed dissatisfaction over the absence of the Minister of Defence and the Acting Director General of the Department of Military Veterans, who are key respondents in the case, from the meeting intended to discuss the court order.

The meeting proceeded despite the absence, with committee members voicing their frustration over the unavailability of those responsible for implementing the court order. The committee has called for the creation of a clear implementation plan and requested written responses to its questions regarding the implementation plan.