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Opposition parties on Tuesday decried the appointment of Brigadier-General Ernest Zwane as the SA National Defence Force's (SANDF) director of prosecutions.

"The decision by the SANDF to appoint convicted criminal Brigadier-General Ernest Zwane as the new director of prosecutions is disgraceful and sends the wrong message about the department's attitude toward crime and its own administration," Democratic Alliance spokesman Roy Jankielsohn said.

Independent Democrats Chief Whip Avril Harding said putting Zwane in the top legal position in the SANDF "is like putting the mice in charge of the cheese".

Jankielsohn intended submitting parliamentary questions to Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota, asking why the decision was made and whether he was aware of Zwane's criminal record when he approved the appointment.

"The DA believes the minister should immediately intervene and freeze the appointment, and the process to select a suitable candidate should be restarted."

Jankielsohn said according to reports in the media, Zwane was found guilty in November 2005 of two charges of fraud after he claimed to have qualifications from Fort Hare University, among other claims.

He was also found guilty of illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.

"Zwane was sentenced to five years' imprisonment on the two fraud charges. The sentence was suspended for five years.

"He was fined R4000 for illegally being in possession of a firearm and R1000 for the ammunition contravention, or 18 months' imprisonment."

Zwane, and another defence force general, Brigadier General Petronella Mari -- both employed by the SA Military Health Service -- were caught by the Scorpions in November 2002 in an investigation into state officials with fake qualifications, he said.

"It appears that the decision to appoint Zwane was made because other candidates were not 'representative' enough. That explanation is simply not good enough.

"If the choice South Africans now face under an ANC government is between appointing convicted criminals and being 'representative', then the system really has gone mad," Jankielsohn said.

Harding said Zwane should be dismissed immediately.

"Putting a person with a criminal record in the top legal position in the SANDF is like putting the mice in charge of the cheese," he said.

"Zwane's CV a few years ago, before the Scorpions got hold of him anyway, was quite impressive.

"He had a law degree from the University of the North and a BA in communications from Fort Hare. He even had a third. Since his brush with Scorpions, however, Zwane has had to forfeit two of them."

The Military Discipline Supplementary Measures Act required only that appropriately qualified officers, with not less than five years experience in military justice, be assigned to the function of director of military prosecutions.

"Considering that the Act says the right person for the position must be 'a fit and proper person of sound character', whoever found Brigadier-General Zwane did a very poor job.

"Needless to say, the ID expects the military to act without hesitation to correct this mighty blunder," Harding said.

Lekota's spokesman Sam Mkhwanazi was unaware of the statements, but was expected to respond later.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) denied reports on Tuesday that Major Mmathabo Zikalala, wife of the head of news at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Snuki Zikalala, was being investigated for refusing to do her duty.

Beeld newspaper reported that Zikalala, a medical doctor deployed as part of the SANDF contingent in Sudan, was going to be prosecuted after she refused to continue working after her flight back to Africa was delayed.

"The charges come after she allegedly refused to see patients, to wear her uniform or do anything normally required of a soldier during deployment," the newspaper reported.

It said that she refused to work after it became clear that an aircraft that was to return her and other soldiers would only arrive at the end of the month.

Defence spokesperson Major Niko Allie denied the claims. "She is not being investigated and she did not refuse any orders," he said.

Zikalala is one of the SANDF doctors deployed as part of the African Union peacekeeping force in Sudan.

Allie said she has been in the Sudan since May and was supposed to return to South Africa on August 15.

"The period has, however, been extended and Major Zikalala will return to South Africa on August 30," he added. -- Sapa SMS 'mg' to 31883 to surf M&G Online breaking news on your cellphone via GPRS or 3G at only R10 a month plus WAP charges.

Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota arrived in Belgium on Tuesday on an official two-day visit aimed at enhancing diplomatic links between the two countries, his department said.

Lekota is expected to meet his Belgian counterpart Andre Flahaut to discuss broad-ranging relationships.

"The Department of Defence regards Belgium as an important partner in its efforts to support government peace initiatives in the Great Lakes region," the department said in a statement.

"Belgium has declared its willingness to contribute resources towards the disengagement, demobilisation, repatriation and reintegration of former combatants in that region as well as towards reconstruction and development of it."

Belgium contributed euros 5.5 million towards the first SA National Defence Force mission that protected Burundian political leaders returning from exile.

"South Africa, Belgium and the Democratic Republic of Congo have a trilateral co-operation in terms of which members of the SANDF have been assisting with the identification, training and integration of DRC combatants and 113,236 have been identified to date."

Belgium is the former colonial power of the DRC, Burundi and Rwanda.

Lekota and Flahaut are expected to discuss a co-operative defence plan.