Boeremag 3 on army's payroll

Boeremag 3 on army's payroll
SANDF keeping treason accused in fine style - at a cost of R10m May 9, 2010 12:00 AM By Prega Govender
The minister of defence's signature is the only thing missing from a document authorising the dismissal of three members of the Boeremag from the army - and her failure to sign it is costing her department millions of rands.

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Three years ago, a board recommended the "administrative discharge" of Colonel Machiel Burger, Major Jacques Olivier and Major Pieter van Deventer, but neither minister Lindiwe Sisulu's office nor that of her predecessor, COPE president Mosiuoa Lekota, have finalised the matter.
The three men, who have been suspended on full pay since October 2002, have earned more than R10-million between them since then .
Burger's annual salary is about R448000; Olivier's is R192000 and Van Deventer's R365000. The three also qualify for annual salary increases and other allowances.
The men are among the 21 accused facing 42 charges of, among other things, terrorism, sabotage and murder, in a marathon treason trial in the High Court in Pretoria that is now in its seventh year.
They stand accused of being involved in several attacks aimed at overthrowing the government in 2002. These included an explosion at a railway track in Soweto, where a woman was killed; blasts at a mosque and an attempt to blow up a Buddhist temple in Bronkhorstspruit, outside Pretoria.
A board convened in July and December 2007, chaired by Brigadier-General EM Meshoala, confirmed that it was awaiting the minister of defence's final approval for the dismissal of the three men. Lekota was minister of defence at the time.
The chief of the SA National Defence Force, General Godfrey Ngwenya, said this week that he would meet his legal section soon to "revisit" the case of the Boeremag three.
"It's pointless to go to the minister and expect her to take a decision when her own legal people are not in agreement," he said. "It cannot be correct for us to be paying these people for such a long time without doing anything ... (but) our own legal people are very edgy when it comes to dismissals."
The Boeremag trio are not the only beneficiaries of the SANDF's slow progress on dismissals. Until July last year, 22 members of the SANDF had been on suspension on full pay for several years for serious allegations including rape, armed robbery, and the theft of military equipment.
One senior officer who received full pay while on suspension from duty for several years is Brigadier-General Nzima Nobanda. He was convicted of culpable homicide in 2003 after shooting his daughter's 19-year-old friend, Shane Coetzee.
Repeated attempts to get confirmation from the SANDF on whether he remains on the payroll have failed.
More than R41-million has so far been paid to 861 soldiers suspended following last year's march on the Union Buildings in protest of poor salaries.
But, according to the South African National Defence Union's secretary-general, Pikkie Greef, suspension without pay for these men is far from enjoyable.
"It might sound nice to sit at home getting paid, but I can assure you the members I deal with are definitely not satisfied," said Greef. "There's a feeling of despondency."
He said it was unacceptable for soldiers to be placed on suspension for long periods.
"The department opted not to subject the soldiers to a military trial because the processes were too slow. Ironically, a military trial could already have been completed in the past eight months."
The Department of Defence declined to comment, saying the matter was still before the courts.
govenderp@sundaytimes.co.za