Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

Anti-apartheid soldiers 'must get a fair deal' Committee shuns pension scheme Political Correspondent CAPE TOWN - Parliament's finance committee would like to reject a proposed pension scheme for former anti-apartheid soldiers which it finds "discriminatory", even though the cabinet and the public sector bargaining council have approved of it. The committee is seeking legal advice about whether it is possible for it to override the agreements reached and opt for a more costly scheme, which would treat former members of the African National Congress' military wing Umkhonto we Sizwe and of the Azanian People's Liberation Army on the same basis as members of the statutory forces. Such a scheme would cost R584m more than the one proposed, and was rejected by government because it was regarded as unaffordable.

Briefing the committee on the proposed amendments to the Government Employees Pension Law Amendment Bill, SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Col Helen Zobane said current members of the SANDF or employees of the defence department who had joined the nonstatutory forces before end-December 1990, would have to sacrifice 33,3% of their years of service for the purpose of calculating their pension. Members of the statutory forces were not required to do this. She said that the same scheme would apply to members of the National Intelligence Agency and the SA Police Service if the cabinet approved it. Members who decided not to join the defence force would be excluded as they had already received demobilisation benefits and could be considered for special pension benefits.

Committee members felt it was discriminatory for the antiapartheid fighters to have to sacrifice part of their service, especially as some members had joined the antiapartheid struggle as soldiers as early as 1961 and had not had any opportunity to accumulate adequate pensions.

Zobane told the committee that financial constraints were the main reason for choosing this option, which would cost R766m. Members would be required to pay R265m of this and employers R501m. If all the prior years' service was recognised, the total cost would be R1,25bn, with members' paying R462m and the employer R785m. Employer contributions equalled 15% and member contributions 7,5%, which could be paid in a lump sum or in instalments. The Government Employees Pension Fund has set aside R1,5bn to cover the state's contribution to the pension scheme.

If members could not afford to make these contributions, their periods of recognised service would be reduced accordingly. However, defence portfolio committee chairwoman Thandi Modise said this would not be fair. She also expressed the concern that a holistic approach was required to deal with pensions for former antiapartheid soldiers.

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT 

SUMMARY

South Africa's political environment is stable. No major challenge to the position of President Thabo Mbeki is expected from within the ruling African National Congress (ANC). The overwhelming political dominance of the ANC is also unlikely to be threatened in the next few years. The re- emergence of extreme right, white elements poses some threat to political stability, but it is not likely to become significant. Their capacity to engage the state in any kind of protracted struggle is limited. Small- scale political protests over the next year cannot be discounted, however. These could arise from the slow pace of housing provision or general union agitation. The greatest threat to political stability in the next year could come from Zimbabwe: if the political tensions there spiral out of control, large numbers of refugees could flood across the border into South Africa.

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT                     

SUMMARY

Violent crime is a major problem, and a serious concern for business. South Africa heads many international cross-country comparisons of crime, such as the number of murders per capita. Much of the crime is gratuitous: victims are often shot during a simple robbery, with no apparent motive. Car-jacking is also a major concern both in urban areas and when driving between cities. The security industry in South Africa is well-developed, and many foreign firms employ sophisticated monitoring and alarm systems. Aside from crime, there are few other major security risks in the country. South Africa is not engaged in armed conflict with any of its neighbours, and has no active secessionist movements.