SANDF defends museum raid

2005-01-17 22:00

Pretoria - The defence force on Monday defended a raid by military police on the SA National Museum of Military History last week.

Major-General Mohato Mofokeng said the action was in line "with the new crime prevention strategy of the department of defence'.

He said: "Throughout the investigation, military police followed standing prescribed procedures after receiving reports of alleged crime."

Military police raided the department of arts and culture-owned museum in Saxonwold, Johannesburg, on Thursday after receiving information that "war-capable weapons and vehicles" were being stored on the premises.

John Keene, the museum's director and a retired major, and two curators, Richard Henry and Suzanne Blendulf, were led away in handcuffs, accused of possession of "suspected stolen" military equipment.

Other possible offences

They were jailed overnight and released on Friday afternoon without being charged.

After the raid, the defence force hauled away an example each of an Eland 60, Eland 90 and Ferret armoured car as well as a Ratel infantry-fighting vehicle.

All had been on public display at the museum for at least 10 years and the military, itself, sends more than 30 groups to the museum annually.

Mofokeng said on Monday that no more arrests had been made and no further equipment confiscated.

An internal investigation "to determine negligence or other possible offences which may have been committed by people entrusted with the disposal of arms" was continuing.

Mofokeng also said discussions were being held between the department and the Northern Flagship Institution and the museum's owner on behalf of the department of arts and culture.

Museum's acquisition books

The discussions were held in order to "determine the legality or otherwise of the presence of the equipment at the museum".

According to media reports, the equipment taken on Thursday was listed in military records as having been destroyed.

A museum spokesperson said at the weekend all the contested items were recorded in the museum's acquisition books.

The museum's Sandi Mackenzie said: "We are not responsible for the military's records, we are only responsible for our own."

The museum was opened by Jan Smuts in 1947. He said then he hoped it would "serve as a warning to us to create a world in which we shall never have to use again the weapons of death and destruction ... or those dreadful weapons to follow them".

The world-famous institution has 40 400 exhibits including the only surviving Messerschmitt Me-262 nightfighter.

Free State

It has come to light that an application by the military museum, Fort Bloemfontein, to get very old, rusty equipment and vehicles dating from World War II from the defence force for preservation purposes was personally rejected by JB Masilela, the secretary of defence.

Volksblad reports that Masilela indicated he would consider approving the application only if Free State Premier Beatrice Marshoff lodged the application.

Two years' effort in finding neglected defence-force equipment from all over the country has now probably been wasted.

It is believed a South African artillery park in Bloemfontein is also probably out of the question now.

- SAPA