Dubious SWATF payout scheme takes another knock

ABOUT 200 former South West Africa Territory Force members have had their hopes of receiving pension payouts from the South African government dashed.

Raphael Mwilima Mudabeti, who was co-ordinating applications by former SWATF members in the Caprivi Region, told The Namibian yesterday that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Namibian Police confiscated the application forms from him. They told him they were investigating the South African National Military Veterans’ Forum.The Forum promised payouts of between N$50 000 and N$65 000 to former SWATF members who sign up with them.Last month, Police from Windhoek confiscated the forms from a scheme being run at Rehoboth.The application forms were being submitted to Ingrid Freeman, who set up a temporary office at a house at Rehoboth to which hundreds of former SWATF members flocked, from all corners of Namibia, to register with the Forum.The former SWATF members paid a “processing fee” of N$55 to Freeman, who forwarded N$30 of it to SA.Police spokesman Deputy Commissioner Hophni Hamufungu said earlier that not even the South African High Commission in Namibia was aware of the organisation that operates from Upington.Mudabeti said he had not been arrested or charged but wanted the South African government to come clean on the pension issue.He has approached the South African government several times about the pension payouts and was informed that Pretoria had nothing to do with the scheme.The Department of Pensions Administration in South Africa’s Ministry of Finance wrote a letter to him, informing him that his documents had been destroyed.”On what grounds did they destroy the documents? They must tell us whether we deserve the money or not.To destroy files does not mean that we are not entitled to the money,” fumed Mudabeti.The National Treasury said all documents pertaining to pension benefits for former SWATF members had been destroyed.They told him they were investigating the South African National Military Veterans’ Forum.The Forum promised payouts of between N$50 000 and N$65 000 to former SWATF members who sign up with them.Last month, Police from Windhoek confiscated the forms from a scheme being run at Rehoboth.The application forms were being submitted to Ingrid Freeman, who set up a temporary office at a house at Rehoboth to which hundreds of former SWATF members flocked, from all corners of Namibia, to register with the Forum.The former SWATF members paid a “processing fee” of N$55 to Freeman, who forwarded N$30 of it to SA.Police spokesman Deputy Commissioner Hophni Hamufungu said earlier that not even the South African High Commission in Namibia was aware of the organisation that operates from Upington.Mudabeti said he had not been arrested or charged but wanted the South African government to come clean on the pension issue.He has approached the South African government several times about the pension payouts and was informed that Pretoria had nothing to do with the scheme.The Department of Pensions Administration in South Africa’s Ministry of Finance wrote a letter to him, informing him that his documents had been destroyed.”On what grounds did they destroy the documents? They must tell us whether we deserve the money or not.To destroy files does not mean that we are not entitled to the money,” fumed Mudabeti.The National Treasury said all documents pertaining to pension benefits for former SWATF members had been destroyed.