It comes around regularly in the first two months of every year – scammers “promising” young people positions in the military on payment of money and every year the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) has to again warn against this illegal practice.
Making matters worse is that more than 10% of those who did the hard yards in applying for selection through the official military skills development (MSD) system did not bother to arrive on official call-up day.
In past years the military job skills racket has been run in North West, Mpumalanga and Western Cape. Judging by the name used by one group of scammers – South African Cape Coloured Corps – Western Cape is again a province targeted this year.
SANDF spokesman Brigadier General Xolani Mabanga has, yet again, condemned activities “aimed at deliberately misleading members of the public regarding integration to the force”.
“The SANDF reiterates there is no integration into the SANDF following Parliament’s promulgation of the Termination of Integration Act of 2001 and the Demobilisation of Amendment Act of the same year that formally and legally brought the integration process to an end on December 21, 2002,” he said in a statement adding “once again, it is illegal for those who are taking advantage of young South Africans by promising them integration into the defence force”.
This year’s “offers” by the Cape Coloured Corps and a group calling itself Amabutho include administration fees, tee shirts and caps, all of which prospective “soldiers” have to pay for.
Anyone on the receiving end of approaches apparently guaranteeing work in the SANDF, either with or without payment, should obtain as much information as possible about those offering the “service” and report it to the nearest police station or SANDF base.
Last month 2 166 volunteers who made it through final MSD selection reported for duty at all four arms of service. The intake numbers saw 1 558 go to the SA Army, 100 to the SA Air Force, 137 to the SA Military Health Service and 240 to the SA Navy. This is 13% less than the number actually called up.
