SANDF funding to come under scrutiny at probe
THE SPECIAL Investigating Unit (SIU) has started going through “thousands and thousands” of documents that were seized from Master of the High Court offices throughout the country in its investigation into fraud and corruption.
SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago told Independent Media yesterday that his unit had major work to do in order to get to the bottom of alleged corruption at the Master’s offices.
“If we find people who have done wrong in terms of employer/employee relationships we are going to then take it to the department with the recommendation, and then we will avail our investigators to give evidence at the disciplinary hearings,” said Kganyago.
He said that on February 4, hundreds of SIU investigating officers had entered all 15 offices and confiscated more than 200 computers and files.
On February 3 President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the SIU to investigate after it was discovered that in Mpumalanga a Master’s official had allegedly amassed R1.7 million through fraud.
Attempts to get a comment from Justice Minister Ronald Lamola’s spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, were unsuccessful.
THE DEFENCE review commission has called for discussions into the funding issues of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
This was said by the commission’s chairperson, Ian Robertson, when briefing the joint standing committee of defence on the commission’s mandate, challenges and achievements.
The commission is mandated to make recommendations to the department of defence on improvement of salaries and service conditions of the military, policies on conditions of service and promotion of measures and standards to ensure implementation of policies on conditions of service.
During his briefing, Robertson noted that their vision was to be a world-class advisory council on military conditions of service.
He said they were short of one commissioner and that they were all appointed on a part-time basis, including him as the chairperson.
“The previous chair was on a parttime basis. The minister decided that the foundation has been laid so she does not think it is necessary for there to be a full-time chair anymore,” Robertson said.
He told the MPs that there were 19 posts in the organogram for the support staff for the commission with only 12 being occupied, one being advertised, another in the labour court, three being unfunded posts and three being members from the reserve force.
He told the commission of the work they had undertaken when they were established about a decade ago.
These included recommendations made to the minister, including the review of the defence force.
He also said conditions of service were recommended to the minister, including eradication of asbestos buildings used by the defence, which are forwarded to the defence secretary and chief of the defence force to compile implementation plans.