SANDU's REJECTION OF THE EXTORTION OF MILITARY PERSONNEL BY THE SANDF AT A PORT ELIZABETH BASE

SANDU has received several complaints from SANDF staff members, stationed at the Army Support Base in Port Elizabeth, of being unlawfully and forcefully subjected to a so-called 'parking fee' upon entering their own military base.

This fee is collected by the base command under the pretext of parking costs for vehicles on the premises.

No legal basis or policy exists for military institutions to charge its own employees to park at their State-owned places of work.

To make matters worse, the command structure of this base has recently started conducting roadblocks on a public road outside the military base in an effort to enforce this payment on all military staff and visitors to the base. This includes civilian family members of soldiers as well as retired members who need to visit the base's medical facility.

These roadblocks are illegal, in that the military has no jurisdiction to unilaterally conduct roadblocks on public roads, unless authorised in terms of legislated prescripts. Such roadblocks contravene the Road Traffic Act in that they interfere with the normal free flow of traffic on a public road.

SANDU views this fleecing of military personnel and members of the public as nothing less than extortion, perpetrated through abuse of military authority.

This union calls on the Department of Defence to condemn and immediately cease this highly illegal practice and also to explain what has happened to the moneys so far collected

Statement issued by Adv JG (Pikkie) Greeff, SANDU national secretary, November 19 2014

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