salary raises
Justin Arenstein
JUDGE Willem Heath, head of South Africa’s most powerful investigation unit, slammed former Transkei military leader Bantu Holomisa this week for questioning the motives of his probe into possible irregular salary increases just before the 1994 elections.
Holomisa said two weeks ago that the unit was conducting a malicious and unsubstantiated vendetta against him for suggesting that he and his military council had irregularly increased their salaries by 20% only days before the elections.
The increase is allegedly costing the government R342 000 per month, indicating a potential R500-million loss over the last three years.
Heath’s special unit has reputedly already recovered or saved the government R10- billion through what it terms “search and seizure” operations.
Heath told the Mail & Guardian on Wednesday that the unit, which has the same executive powers as a high court in civil matters, has also just uncovered additional information indicating that increases similar to those received by Holomisa and his military council were approved for Transkei’s public service commission. It is not certain how much the additional increases are costing the government.
Holomisa emphatically denies the charges and insists that Heath is serving “political masters” in an attempt to smear his name.
“This is the second time you have rushed into correspondence and make wild allegations without first establishing the facts … I am far too busy to waste time on such an allegation,” Heath said in a four-page letter to Holomisa on Monday.
Dismissing Holomisa’s allegations as completely without foundation and of being highly insulting to both the unit and Heath in person, the letter accused Holomisa of relying on “negative views”.
Holomisa in turn insists that his last promotion – from the rank of brigadier to major-general – had been in 1987 by former Transkei leader George Matanzima. Holomisa challenged Heath to publish documentation proving otherwise.
“The issue is not really about a promotion as such, in the sense that he was not given a higher rank but rather a 20% salary increase just before the elections,” said a member of the special investigation unit, Gerhart Visagie.
“The documentation we have, including an internal Transkei memorandum, indicates that Holomisa’s salary, as the military council chairman, increased from R250 158 to R303 789.”
The documentation also indicates that other Transkei leaders, including the president, 12 ministers, the auditor general, public service commission chairman and a number of paramount chiefs all received the same 20% increase.
“We have this proof but every time we investigate anything connected to Holomisa, he immediately reacts strongly,” Visagie added.
Judge Heath confirmed that the unit’s investigation into Holomisa was not yet complete but stressed that he only needed one or two more statements and a couple of weeks before initiating civil action.
“Holomisa’s response to this whole thing is once again very derogatory of both me and the unit. It is not the first time that he has reacted like this. In January of last year, he wrote me a letter out of the blue accusing us of being biased for investigating a house he bought in the Transkei,” said Heath.
Holomisa insists that he retained his salary as a commander of the Transkei defence force, which includes standard tax- deductible allowances, and that he has still not received his “long overdue” early-retirement pension.
Holomisa reportedly qualifies for the pension in terms of the 1978 Defence Act but the government still has to process and approve his application. — African Eye News Service