REACTION BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL DEFENCE UNION ON THE INCIDENTS OF ASSAULT OF SANDF RECRUITS AT INFANTRY SCHOOL, OUDTSHOORN

PRETORIA

7 MAY 2013

SANDU has noted with grave concern the incident in which 11 SANDF recruits were subjected to physical assault at the hands of instructors at the Oudtshoorn base last week. SANDU condemns the unlawful practise of assault as an attempt at disciplining recruits for any transgressions. The result of this unlawful and blatant infringement of human rights, is that at least 1 recruit has been left hospitalised with a prognosis of permanent injury to his shoulder after being beaten with broomsticks during the unlawful punitive physical exercise session last week.

The injured recruit's military career is for all practical purposes at an end, due to this seriously debilitating injury. SANDU rejects claims by the SANDF earlier today that punitive training is allowed. SANDU challenges the SANDF to show the public the policy interms of which punitive punishment is allowed as a disciplinary tool for SANDF members. It also begs the question of the what the use would then be of the military justice system, if alternate and arbitrary punishment is allowed.

Of particular concern further is the fact that several sources have confirmed to SANDU that both the Military Police as well as the SAPS have been obstructed on instructions from the base command, to carry out investigations into what was clearly a brutal assault on the group of recruits.

The frequency and number of unsavoury incidents regarding recruits and students under training at this particular base is well past the point of alarm. Despite this fact and despite previous promises from the SANDF that incidents would be investigated, no such investigations have, if they ever occurred, has resulted in any tangible outcome.

A criminal charge of contempt of court has already been laid against the base commander, in another matter, which investigation has been stonewalled so far in that SAPS is being refused entry into the base to investigate the matter. Furthermore the very same base commander was supposedly to be investigated by the SANDF for his alleged public humiliation of a female recruit who subsequently committed suicide inside the base last year.

The minister of Defence even assured all and sunder that the particular investigation would be made public and that she would visit the base. Until today none of tehminister's promises in this regard have been honoured. To add insult to injury, the base commander is also being charged at the Equality court by a soldier under his command for hate speech after he allegedly made derogatory statements to her about her pregnancy.

The controversy around the head of the current base commander, given the above incidents, simply makes his remaining in that position wholly untenable from a military discipline point of view. The SANDF needs to relieve Colonel Nombewu of his command pending a thorough investigation in to the above matters. Keeping him in command pending these issues, simply sends out the message that he is enjoying special treatment and protection by his superiors. 

SANDU is not impressed with the claim by the SANDF this afternoon that a Board of Inquiry has been convened, as such claims always follow Oudtshoorn incidents with no result whatsoever.

This matter is not just going to dissappear. SANDU has already been appraoched by parents of the injured recruits and will assist them in the laying of criminal charges against teh instructors involved in the assaults and also to lay complaints against the SANDF and base command at the Human Rights commission. SANDU will not allow a military base to be run like a prison camp

Statement issued by Pikkie Greeff, SANDU national secretary, May 7 2013

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