287 SA soldiers stand accused of serious crimes against civilians
Hundreds of South African soldiers are accused of killing, torturing and assaulting the people they are supposed to protect – and taxpayers are footing the bill for their legal defences.
South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members are accused in 287 serious criminal cases.
The most recent list of recorded cases includes 26 involving murder, 22 attempted murder, 15 assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, 25 common assault and 31 reckless and negligent driving.
The alleged offences could also cost the taxpayer just under R1 billion in civil claims.
The SANDF’s legal services division has acknowledged, in correspondence that has been leaked, that its failure to finalise civil claims involving South African peacekeepers in Burundi has become “an embarrassment”.
Among the claims is one by a Burundian state witness, Dobeye Jean Damacene, for an air ticket he bought to testify at the trial in South Africa of Flippie Venter, accused of raping and murdering a teenage sex worker while serving as a sergeant in Burundi.
While 37 of the criminal cases against SANDF members are on record as having been withdrawn or ending in acquittal, documents suggest that the SANDF has lost track of what has become of 125 cases recorded by its legal services department. The last court date noted was four years ago.
About 13 cases – three of them involving murder charges and one, culpable homicide – are listed as “dormant”. In 58 cases, the charges are not listed.
According to its 2006 financial statements, the Department of Defence is also facing civil claims for R978 million and claims for motor accidents involving R3.7m more.
Most of the 149 civil claims relate to allegations of unlawful arrest and violence against.
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31 Janvier 2007 à 10:20 dans
- zsandf (anglais)
