Latest to jump on the bandwagon of illegally offering employment in the national defence force is an SA Army warrant officer due to appear in a military court today (Tuesday).
Social media is regularly used at various times of the year, especially during the first quarter, to offer work in the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) in exchange for money but this appears to be first time a serving member has been implicated in a jobs-for-cash scam.
SANDF Director: Defence Corporate Communication Brigadier General Mafi Mgobozi said the senior non-commissioned officer was arrested last Friday in the Tshwane metro but not on a military base following “a rapid investigation” by Military Police and Defence Intelligence. He was arrested during what Mgobozi called “a sting operation” mounted as a result of a tip-off from people defrauded by the soldier.
“It is alleged the suspect promised community members in Tshwane, where he lived, that their children must apply and would get work in the defence force and took money from them,” Mgobozi is reported as saying by News24.
“When January came and the intake started last week, they were not called up. The community reported he promised them jobs and nothing happened.”
At the time of publication it was not clear how many people the warrant officer had approached with his illegal offer. The investigation is ongoing and there is a possibility of further arrests.
Mgobozi repeated SANDF Chief General Solly Shoke’s oft-attributed words that the national defence force will not tolerate corrupt activities by any member, no matter what his or her rank is.
In a separate case in 2017, a man who claimed to be a colonel in the SANDF trafficked young males and females between the ages of 18 and 30 from KwaZulu-Natal under the false pretence of employment in the force.
The 300 young prospective job seekers were found stranded in Wonderpark north of Pretoria. The Department of Social Development was roped in to help them.
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