FF Plus – praag.org

Weapons being stolen from South African Defence Force

The plundering of the assets of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), including weapons and ammunition with almost no successful prosecution, is shocking and is indicative of a collapse of the management structure of the SANDF, says Dr Pieter Groenewald, leader of the FF Plus.

In the response to a written parliamentary question that Dr Groenewald directed at the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, it came to light that in 2016 there were a total of 417 incidences of robbery (272) and burglary (145) at the respective military bases. (Please see question and answer below).

Thus far, only fourteen of the cases were successfully prosecuted, of these three were cases of burglary and eleven were cases of theft. Not even one person has been successfully prosecuted for the theft of weapons.

A wide variety of items were stolen, but what is especially worrying is the great incidence of the theft of weapons and ammunition during this time. A follow-up question regarding the quantity and types of weapons that were stolen will be submitted to the Minister.

The theft of computer equipment is also prevalent, but the thieves literally plunder everything that they can get their hands on; from food, batteries, petrol, alcohol, cash, bicycles, gardening tools to camping equipment, clothes, car parts, uniforms and even documents.

According to Dr Groenewald, these figures clearly indicate that the SANDF management is failing. He says that it is a direct consequence of Affirmative Action (AA), which lead to poor training and a lack of discipline.

“What is ironic is that computer equipment, weapons and cash were stolen from the military police, while they are the ones that are supposed to protect the SANDF’s property.

“If the SANDF is not even able to protect its own military bases against theft and plundering, one can rightly question whether it will be able to protect the country and its inhabitants against possible threats,” says Dr Groenewald.

FF Plus demands scrapping of re-demarcation in Vaal Triangle

The proposed re-demarcation of the municipal boarders of the Midvaal, Emfuleni and Lesedi municipalities in Gauteng should be scrapped after it was revealed that the chairperson of the municipal demarcation board, Landiwe Mahlangu, serves on councils and boards which provide services to the government and specifically to Emfuleni, Mr. Jaco Mulder, the FF Plus MPL for Gauteng says.

The fact that Mahlangu apparently, amongst others serves on the boards of Sea Key Holdings and Interwaste which do business with the Emfuleni municipality draws a line through the credibility of the demarcation board and should be investigated.

The FF Plus had already on 17 April 2013 lodged an appeal with the demarcation board after public hearings were held between 7 and 11 April 2013 in the two municipalities and various other centres in South Africa. The chairperson of the municipal demarcation board, Mr. LJ Mahlangu only signed the notices for the public hearings on 3 April 2013 – less than 6 days before the public hearings were held and the public notices in newspapers were published as late as April 2013.

The appeal is based on the spirit of the South African Constitution as contained in section 33 which in no uncertain terms determines the right to fair administrative action in par. 1, 2 and 3 and the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, 3 of 2000.

It is now clear that Mahlangu could not make any objective contribution to the process.

‘Criminals show no fear’, says FF Plus

The murder of Gauteng policeman Maj-Gen Tirhani Maswanganyi on Tuesday was an indication that criminals were not afraid of law enforcement agencies, the FF Plus said.

“The murderers clearly, regardless of the motif, have no fear of law enforcement or prosecution,” Freedom Front Plus leader in the province Jaco Mulder said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

He said the established criminal culture in South Africa has progressed to taunting the authorities.

The 52-year-old policeman’s body was found in a field near Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, on Tuesday morning, police said.

His family told investigators he left home to go to work shortly after 2pm on Monday.

Gauteng commissioner Lt-Gen Mzwandile Petros said: “Approximately 3am this morning, the body of the officer was found in a bushy area next to the road. His hands and feet were tied up”.

A police patrol found Maswanganyi’s abandoned Isuzu bakkie next to the R101 on Monday evening. A police uniform and a police identification card were in the bakkie, which prompted a search.

Police were waiting for a post mortem report on the cause of death.

Petros said there were no gunshot wounds to the body.

On Tuesday Premier Nomvula Mokonyane said Maswanganyi’s death was a senseless blow to Gauteng’s war against crime.

“In the memory of Maj-General Maswanganyi all of us law-abiding citizens should take up the cudgels and say: ‘We will not be cowed into submission by criminals. We will honour Maswanganyi by making sure that the perpetrators of this heinous crime are swiftly brought to book’,” she said.

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said Maswanganyi’s death was a loss to South Africa.

He had been in the police for 31 years.

“The SA Police Service (SAPS) is poorer. The Gauteng provincial team is poorer. The people of Johannesburg are poorer. The people of Gauteng and of the entire South Africa are poorer,” he said.

The SA Police Union (Sapu) also condemned Maswanganyi’s death.

“We want to condemn with the strongest terms possible the senseless murder of this top cop,” said Sapu general secretary Oscar Skommere.

“His cold-blooded murder has robbed the SAPS, as he was one of a few career officers who have dedicated their lives [to] the fight against crime in our society.”

The Democratic Alliance extended its condolences to Maswanganyi’s family, friends, and colleagues.

“By all accounts he was a dedicated policeman who keenly felt the need to make a difference in the fight against crime,” DA MPL Kate Lorimer said in a statement.

Petros said a team of detectives under the leadership of the deputy provincial commissioner for detective services, Maj-Gen Tebello Mosikili, and investigators from the provincial investigation unit and organised crime would investigate the murder. – Sapa