TRAUMATISED MILITIA OF SOUTH AFRICA

Fanie du Toit, a disabled military veteran who lost his hearing, initiated a debate about traumatised miltia in one of his press articles in Volksblad, Bloemfontein, 2006. Subsequently he called a meeting of all the persons who responded to his article where it was decided to take this matter forward via a support group. Colonel Frank Gibson, chairperson of Club Centurion, a military support orginisation at the Tempe Military Base, decided to place this issue on their agenda for discussion at a meeting in February. The idea will be to start with a data base which could be added to rsponses which Fanie du Toit received.

The crux of the matter is that traumatised ex militia and even current peacekeeping soldiers who return from war stricken African states, did not and still do not get any kind of debriefing or industrial pshychological support. The discussion group took notice of the traumatic experiences of ex militia in personal letters to Fanie du Toit. Most of the correspondents want help but do not want to be exposed to possible prosecution. The reason is obvious. The Freedom Park in Pretoria (read Tshwane) opposite the Voortrekker Monument, does not want to put the names of ex SA Militia who lost their lives in the Border War and Angola against SWAPO and Cuban forces during the prvious political dispensation on a honorary wall. In sharp contrast, the names of Cuban soldiers who lost their lives will be placed on the wall of fame. South African soldiers are regarded as the enemy to the freedom struggle.

By ignoring the basic priniples of International Law-- which dertermines the rights of the defeated miltia who had to defend their country under the moratorium laws of their government--ex SA militia are actually still under the punitive measures of war. Atually, they cannot qualify for war pensions or treatment for trauma because they are still regarded as the "enemy"...

In a later blog, after the meeting with Club Centurion, I will report on the progress of the discussion or support group regarding ex traumatised miltia.