ATT: ALL NEWS EDITORS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: 02 October 2024

Military Ombud Attends 16ICOAF Conference in Berlin

The South African Military Ombud, Lt Gen (Ret) Vusumuzi Masondo, led a delegation to the Sixteenth International Conference of Ombuds Institutions for the Armed Forces (16ICOAF), held in Berlin, Germany, from 30 September to 02 October 2024.

Lt Gen (Ret) Masondo participated in a session themed “Support and Care after Deployment – Veteran Care”, where he delivered a presentation addressing how ombuds institutions can uphold and strengthen systems of care and support for military veterans, with particular focus on physical and mental health concerns.

In his address, Masondo shared that veterans who have served in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) since 1994 have access to necessary physical and mental health care services. However, he noted that the Office has identified that many military veterans who fought for the liberation of the country are excluded from the current legal mandate and therefore have limited access to physical and mental health care support.

“A lesson for those of us involved in furthering the democratic order is to ensure that all soldiers who participated in such struggles are included in future veterans’ dispensations. It serves the purpose of our Office to forge strong and reliable relations with stakeholders who impact veterans’ health,” said Masondo.

As part of sharing best practices and experiences, Masondo presented several case studies handled by the Office relating to military veterans’ benefits. In one case, a fund administrator terminated a veteran’s membership due to non-payment of subscription fees.

The veteran only became aware of the termination after a claim he had submitted was rejected. He subsequently approached the Military Ombud Office, which assumed jurisdiction over the matter. Upon investigation, the Office established that prior communication from the fund had not reached the complainant, as he had changed his cell phone number and there was no evidence that alternative steps had been taken to notify him. Following the intervention of the Office, the fund reinstated his membership and reimbursed him.

Masondo further highlighted that the Office engages veterans through its Outreach Programme, which has enabled it to identify an increase in complaints relating to access to health services after soldiers conclude their military careers.

The conference also announced that South Africa will host the 17ICOAF in 2025.

ICOAF brings together representatives of ombuds institutions for the armed forces from around the world, operating under various names and institutional models. To date, representatives from over 50 states have participated in the ICOAF initiative.

The objectives of the 16ICOAF were to raise awareness, facilitate and foster peer-to-peer exchange of knowledge and best practices, and to articulate future policy responses among ombuds institutions.

ISSUED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN MILITARY OMBUD

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