Media Release: 14 December, 2010
The SA Legion wishes to warn the public that individuals are defrauding military veterans and their dependants who served in the former South African Defence Force (SADF) in the Greater Cape Town Area and parts of the Western Cape.
The SA Legion advises that neither the Legion nor our present military, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), relies on word-of-mouth agents on the streets to distribute pensions!
The modus operandi of the scam operators is to offer the veterans pensions and payouts within 90 days. They then charge an R80.00 “administration” fee. The syndicate also approaches former SA Cape Corps members to apply for pensions, asking for R250.00 for an application form. There should be no fees payable to fill in government forms. Some have even promised work for “integration” in the SANDF, which cannot be done.
The Legion calls on members of the public who have information on these individuals to inform the nearest branch of the SAPS or SANDF Unit or Base of these illegal activities. The SA Legion offices can also be used for information purposes.
The Legion condemns this sort of activity whereby our military veterans are given false expectations and defrauded of the little money they have left.
For further information, contact the National President, Lt. Col. Godfrey Giles:
Telephone:
Fax: 2
E-mail:
Or, Public Relations and Publicity member, Christopher Szabo:
Telephone:
Fax: :
E-mail:
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25 Comment
Pieter Hatting, August 21, 2012 at 2:42 pm
Hullo Just Checking
Myself and my younger brother has registered for veterans benifits at Eastlondon a whuile back and im just wondering what is the latest news on the pension payouts and when it will happen can anybody shed some light on this please ??
Concerned person
ReplyViv, September 4, 2012 at 8:49 am
Dear Pieter
I have forwarded your query to Christopher Szabo of the SA Legion. Hopefully he will respond to you directly. I will publish any info I receive from him.
Regards
ReplyViv
Viv, January 22, 2012 at 9:50 pm
Chris has had computer problems, but has at last been able to access the email I sent him with Ayeesha’s query. His response follows:
Hi Viv,
The situation is that Ayeeshah Ibrahium should approach the Department of Defence and Military Veterans, or the SA Legion, which can give specific information. I know that veterans of WWII are indeed eligible for a pension, but the details need to be looked at. The SA Legion can be reached at Strand/Somerset West, Hermanus and George.Contact details of the Legion can be found at the Cape Town branch’s website here:
http://www.salegion.co.za/contact-sa-legion.html
Please note that there is never, under any circumstances, a charge for any service for military veterans. The new Department of Military Veterans (DMV) is part of the Department of Defence and information, forms and so forth are provided free. Any claim requesting payment is not acceptable.
I would suggest approaching the SA Legion first as they are well versed in where to send Ayeeshah locally. They will also not charge for anything, as the information and forms are from the government and are free.
Best Regards,
ReplyChris
Ayeeshah Ibrahium, December 19, 2011 at 2:28 pm
Hi Christopher, my mom and many others i am aware of have registered paying R80 a few months ago at an office in Parow with a Mr De Jongh as a dependent of a passed on Military Veteran on the promise of compensation to her late father’s dependents , that the Government would be paying out at some future date (last told possibly Nov 2011) for his contribution in the last World War as they were not compensated as promised by the Government of the time and were sidelined when so called “white” soldier returning from war were compensated at that time, resulting in them and many others becoming poverty stricken and their kids growing up in scallor..I just want to find out if there is really anything like this in the pipeline. I await your comments. Thanking you in advance. Ayeeshah Ibrahium.
ReplyLeonie, November 25, 2011 at 11:52 am
Hi Christopher
My father and his brother, both deceased, served in WWII under the SACC. My cousin tells me that she and her siblings will get payout benefits in December 2011. She also gave me contact details of the gentleman in Parow to whom each of them paid R80 registration fee. All efforts to contact him were thusfar unsuccessful. Can you please enlighten me on the validity of socalled payouts and claim forms if this is real.
Replyashley, August 4, 2011 at 5:44 am
HiChristopher!
Many of the guys did not receive their medals after completing their military service . Could you possibly give me the total amount and all the types of medal names that an ex-serviceman qualify for that served in the defence force sowel as completed their border duties
ReplyViv, June 9, 2011 at 11:03 am
Hi Frederick
This is not our field of expertise! Please contact Christopher Szabo who is the PR man for the SA Legion. He has kindly responded to other requests for info from our readers. His email address is .
If you receive info that would be of benefit to others, please will you get back to us and share it.
Viv
ReplyFrederick, June 9, 2011 at 10:27 am
As a conscript in 1986/1987 and on the border do I qualify for any sort of compensation?
ReplyKind regards
F.Beeslaar
Viv, February 23, 2011 at 3:28 pm
This correspondence is now closed. A website for Military Veterans is in the pipeline. Please watch out for http://www.info.gov.za/aboutgovt/contacts/dept/militaryveterans.htm which hopefully will be online soon and able to supply answers to your queries.
Our grateful thanks to Christopher Szabo for all his input.
ReplyViv
Chantal, February 22, 2011 at 10:45 pm
Hi Christopher!
I hope that you could help my grandmother of 84 years old. Her father served in World War 2 under the Cape Corps. We heard that the families will be payed out soon. Please tell us how to go about it cos we do not have any of his documentation? My grandmother and her sister who is dead were the only kids he had when he went to war. He later remarried after my gran’s mother died and his other daughter has all his belongings.
Thanks
ReplyChantal
ashley marnies, February 22, 2011 at 6:05 pm
Christopher , I thank you very much for corresponding and I hope we could one day meet and have a meeting to pave the way forward for all SACC members . Our guys are so committed in assisting our world war and young military veterans members sowel as their dependants to be part of every process that’s taking place in the country . We have complied to the department of military veterans affairs requirements to submit applications for our members to be onto the data base . I hope that from your side that all imformation and discussions your department has . to be advertised so that each and every Cape Corps military Veteran understand what the process is all about and what is required from them . May God bless you in all your endeavoures to find a solution for the cape corps military veterans
ReplyChristopher Szabo, February 21, 2011 at 3:14 pm
Hi Ashley,
ReplyThat’s about how I understood it. I wasn’t aware of the age gap, though. It depends on whether people want to hang out with their own age group or perhaps be part of something bigger. I personally prefer to see both the very old guys, like WWII vets, as well as the young SANDF guys all in the same association. Besides, we can get more done.
But I understand the SACCEL types and others met the Minister and so I presume their new organisation is on its way. I wouldn’t know more about that than anyone else, however.
All the best!
Chris
ashley marnies, February 21, 2011 at 2:31 pm
If it was about forming a seperate association for coloured guys , what about all the registered cape corps military veterans organizations that have being established in various areas around the country . These cape corps military veterans organizations have many members within their organizations . The reasons for many of these cape corps military veterans registering their own organizations was that , the old cape corps ex-servicemen legions ( SACCEL ) organizations were defunct and did not accommodate the young guys within their structures at that time . Now that most of the world war veterans have died out , many decided that they have to register their own organisations within their communities and areas . For example, there is a organisation in Johannesburg that is registered and also applied for recognition by the minister of defence . Mr. Godfrey Giles knows about them and had numerous discussions with them .
ReplyChristopher Szabo, February 21, 2011 at 1:24 pm
Hi All,
The meetings were not about who is eligible for the pensions.It was about forming a seperate association for Coloured guys that is not part of any other, e.g. the SA Legion.
The pensions, disability grants etc are covered by the Bill. Please note that it isn’t law yet, but it’s nearly there. It’s currently going through Parliament as per the usual procedure. The full text of the Bill is available here:
http://www.parliament.gov.za/live/commonrepository/Processed/7/317616_1.pdf
The main areas of benefits are listed here according to the Bill:
5. (1) The benefits relating to a military veteran and his or her dependants are the
following:
(a) Compensation to military veterans who sustained disabling injuries or 20
psychological trauma or who suffer from a terminal disease resulting from
their participation in military activities;
(b) dedicated counselling and treatment to military veterans who suffer from
post-traumatic stress disorder or related conditions;
(c) honouring and memorialising fallen military veterans; 25
(d) education, training and skills development;
(e) facilitation of employment placement;
(f) facilitation of or advice on business opportunities;
(g) subsidisation or provisioning of public transport;
(h) pension; 30
(i) access to health care; and
(j) housing.
I hope this helps.
Legion Greetings,
ReplyChris Szabo
PRO
SA Legion
ashley marnies, February 19, 2011 at 10:06 am
I would like to know by Christopher Szabo if they had various meetings with all the relevant cape corps military veterans organizations and if the meetings were about discussing the issues covered by the bill which range from housing,pensions,medical aid,education and training of military veterans and their families. Did they also discuss the new pensions act and bill that has being passed by the minister of defence . If the database stands at 57 500 members at the Department of Defence and Military Veterans , are their cape corps members on the database.
Replyashley marnies, February 19, 2011 at 9:41 am
Why are they only negotiating now for cape corps members to receive pensions when they have already drafted the military veterans act and bill to accommodate all military veterans who served on both sides of the border war . Are we being sidelined again in the military veterans act or does it only accommodate a certain group of veterans. I need clarity on the process of who will realy benefit out of the process .
Replycarl ram, February 9, 2011 at 3:57 pm
I was in sakk maintenance unit jan 1988 -dec 1989.
ReplyChristopher Szabo, January 24, 2011 at 12:13 pm
Hi Carl,
Voluntary service should have been as part of the PF. If you were in Commandos, then you’re not eligable as far as I know. Could you say which you were in?
ReplyChristopher Szabo, January 24, 2011 at 12:12 pm
Hi Ashley,
Negotiations are currently underway on the SACC members, so if you can wait a bit, there will be more clarity on that soon.
Replycarl ram, January 24, 2011 at 9:18 am
I would like to know who is eligible for pension payouts I did 2 years voluntary service JANUARY 1988-DECEMBER 1989.
Replycarl ram, January 24, 2011 at 9:14 am
I would like to know who is eligible for pension payouts
Replyashley, January 10, 2011 at 2:10 pm
I would like to know if all the South African Cape Corps Members will also be receiving pensions as the mk military veterans do.
ReplyChristopher Szabo, December 20, 2010 at 7:58 pm
Dear Marina,
I am sorry to hear about your cousin. This is precisely why we are warning people. The reality is your cousin was tricked by this person.
We suggest your cousin should take the receipt and go to the nearest police station and lay a charge of fraud.
We as the Legion do not pay out military pensions, but rather we help legitimate military veterans get access to their pensions, which they must collect at the relevant government department.
Please, it will NEVER be a private individual or company, the payments are always made at the government department in question, such as the Department of Defence etc.
Could you do us a favour and help catch this guy? We would love to see a copy of the form and the receipt. The more evidence we can collect, the more surely we can stop this scam.
Thank you for writing in,
ReplyBest Regards,
Christopher Szabo
Executive Member for PR and Publicity
SA Legion
Viv, December 20, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Hi Marina
I have sent an email to the SA Legion’s publicity officer, Christopher Szabo, for further updates and hope that we will get a response to your question soon.
Viv
ReplyMarina, December 17, 2010 at 12:51 pm
My cousin just registered and paid R80 and was promised something like R3000 per month. He came all the way from George to Parow and could not really afford it.
ReplyAccording to him the office who gave him a receipt said that the police investigated their offices yesterday in Paraw. Can you confirm this?