A Cape Town lawyer believed to represent hundreds of families of Cape Corps veterans trying to unlock pensions and other benefits says he can only vaguely recall dealing with the matter, in 2014, and has lost all the files.
The lawyer, Azhar Saldulker, who has an office on Greenmarket Square, was tracked down following personal intervention by GOOD Leader Patricia de Lille.
De Lille's intervention followed a visit to Vredenburg, where she met a group of elderly residents whose fathers and grandfathers served in the two World Wars. They told her that they had been paying "membership" fees for about 10 years to a Mr John de Jongh – who had briefed unknown lawyers on their behalf.
After the meeting, De Lille traced Mr De Jongh, in Makanda, and he referred her to Saldulker.
In a written response, Saldulker said a long time had passed since he was appointed attorney of record for the Cape Corps in 2014. Since then, he had twice replaced his laptop, losing all his records when a hard drive could not be repaired. He had lost all his emails, and the counsel on brief had retired.
Saldulker said he was unable to assist further as he was busy with matters requiring his full attention.
GOOD Secretary-General Brett Herron, himself a lawyer, said the party would be reporting the matter to the Legal Practise Council and had advised the group of elderly Vredenburg residents to lay criminal charges.
Aunty Rosetta Storm, from Vredenburg, said Cape Corps soldiers received no rewards for serving their country during the two world wars. In contrast, white veterans were handsomely rewarded – and MK and Apla soldiers benefitted from pensions, medical aid and property.
Aunty Rosetta said some families representing Cape Corps soldiers who served the apartheid government had also been paying "membership fees" in the hope of receiving benefits.
"We were promised that we could receive benefits that we couldn't get under apartheid," she said.
"Jy moet verstaan, die is 'n baie sensitiewe ding," sê die auntie.
"People who I don't know pay fees into my account. We pay the money into the account of Mr John de Jongh, and he transfers it – but I'm not sure to who," Aunty Rosetta said.
Last year, the membership fee was R440. It is estimated that at least R3m has been collected over the years.
A source in the Department of Military Veterans told WAARHEID! that people who believed they could be entitled to special pensions or other benefits should approach the department directly for guidance. There were no registration fees, and no middlemen were required.
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