The South Africa based security forces seem to be traveling on an express train heading toward self-destruction. Are the officials spiraling out of control or can they apply brakes and stop the carnage?
Max Du Preez, a highly controversial writer, writes in his book, A Rumor of Spring, published in November 2013, “Among the convicted criminals still serving in the SAPS were a Major General, 10 Brigadiers, 21 Colonels, 10 Majors, 43 Lieutenant-colonels, 163 Captains, 84 Lieutenants and 716 Warrant Officers.” (PG 195).
Not expected criminals but convicted criminals. This is the South African democracy in action. The country is being policed by criminals. While it has always been a part of Communist doctrine that a nation’s security forces should be emasculated, the current regime in South Africa is affecting such on the basis of protecting their ill gotten gains.
The majority of the people do not trust the South African Police Services (SAPS). The shootings at Marikana in August 2012 where 34 miners were killed are indicative of the gung-ho attitude pervading the SAPS. What nobody mentions the fact that behind the SAPS were soldiers. Is it true that these were troops from a parachute regiment and that they were armed with .50 Browning machine guns? So many questions remain unanswered. What would have happened if they were to become involved in the fracas? Was this an attempt to create a civil war in South Africa? What was the responsibility of Cyril Ramaphosa in this whole fracas?
Ramaphosa’s company Shanduka was the labor broker through which these mine-workers could get jobs at the mine. Allegations had been doing the rounds that two thirds of the miners salaries were withheld by Shanduka with only a third paid out.
Can this be the reason why mine workers were so disgruntled? These during a time of economic difficulty, who can afford to have two-thirds of their income, disappear in order to feed a fat cat so that he can buy an R20 million buffalo bull. The action exercised by the South African Security forces is definitely on an express train traveling toward self destruction.
The South African Police Services (SAPS) has a division called Crime Intelligence (CI). This unit has been most often in the news and for all the wrong reasons. In the matter of a Czech fugitive, Radowan Krecjir, officials from this unit have been pointed out as living comfortably off his largesse. The Commander of the unit in the East Rand admitted that he had benefited from a so called loan for R400,000 from one of Krecjir’s companies. Two junior ranks under Steyn benefited from the same largess, policemen driving around in Porsches. Even Miami Vice, the TV series is no patch for the realities of what is happening in the RSA.
The CI, along with the various Intelligence Services, called the State Security Agency (SSA) and Defense Intelligence (DI) are intercepting phone calls, internet communications and doing so without court orders. Snowden would be astounded as to what has been transpiring in the RSA. Raids are lodged on businesses in order to effectively steal the business from its rightful owners. Situations are created, and slander is circulated as gospel in order to tarnish the reputation of civilians whose businesses are of interest to these people. Nothing stands in isolation – if this is what is happening to citizens of South Africa, one could imagine as to what is happening to Embassies and foreign representatives communications. Is the express train to self destruction traveling to fast?
CI has tentacles spreading throughout the South African security community. In this regard, Johan Erasmus from a company called New Generation Arms Management (NGAM), which holds the South African agency for the Dillon Mini-gun which fires 3,000 rounds a minute was targeted by them. Erasmus had been targeted as a so called Boeremag by the South African Special Forces (SASF) due to his no nonsense approach when they tried to steal the contracts and representation from this company. Erasmus was approached at different times by a George Darmanovitch who tried to persuade Erasmus into illegal actions in order to compromise him. Actions such as trying to bribe officials in order to keep all the fabrications from inter alia Vanessa Du Toit from the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) disappear.
According to Erasmus, this is not the way that things are to be done and he declined. He also holds the view that he is guilty only of performing and delivering on an Armscor contract (the state owned procurement agency for the defense force). Armscor had been pointed out at various instances as being a hotbed of unbridled corruption, even since the days from before 1994 when the ANC came into power. It was clearly an attempt at compromising Erasmus as they had nothing on him.
In this regard, NGAM’s business premises and its directors’ homes were raided on December 4, 2012 based on false affidavits by Vanessa Du Toit. All their computers were carted off with volumes of documentation. Nothing has been returned until today; although it has been noticed that their business information had been disseminated to their competitors as well as the state owned companies.
Even different court attempts by NGAM came to naught as it would appear that the judges in most cases were influenced, especially the Afrikaans speaking; white, male judges. Erasmus was warned that the judges would not help him due to his pointing these aspects out. His views are simple since when does he needs the help of judges, all they have to do is to commit to their duties. It is not about helping, it is all about performing one’s duties. Stop the express train and avoid self destruction.
Erasmus is targeted without a doubt, simply for not allowing criminals under the guise of the state to steal from him and his black partners. This story does not end here.
It is clear that this is not an isolated case. Economic terrorism is being waged by these people from CI, SASF and NPA against the government of the day. They thrive on blackmailing senior officials who have committed one or other indiscretion. They excel in slandering people whom they have targeted. They are misleading the government. It is the same people who are laying ambush after ambush for President Zuma to stumble into. Which of course he so dutifully does. This has been going on to such an extent that President Zuma is seen as a liability for the ANC in the upcoming general election.
When a network as devious as the one operating in South Africa pervades any society, it is clear that such a society is on an express train toward destruction, alas the days when Rome burnt.
This article was published in the Guardian LV