Sex major claims conspiracy
2003-07-31 21:47
Pretoria - A female defence force major will have her rank insignia cut off with a sword on the parade ground, before she will have to march out of her unit's gate to the beat of a lone drum.
This is what is in stock for Ria Vivier, 48.
A military court ruled that she be cahsiered - a sentence which only applies to officera - and dishonourably discharged after she was found guilty on Thursday on five charges related to sexual misconduct with two married warrant officers.
Her fellow accused, corporal Neil Sanna, 27, with whom she had an extra-marital affair, was found guilty on nine charges and will be dismissed from the defence force.
The Military Appeal Court will automatically review both sentences before they come into effect.
Vivier, an intelligence officer, and Sanna, a personnel clerk, faced a total of 14 charges, including indecent behaviour, public indecency and assault.
Vivier also had sex with sergeant Eddie van Meyeren, another married colleague.
Vivier and Sanna were found guilty of public indecency, ignoring a legitimate order and assault. These transgressions were committed while they were part of the United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Neither Vivier nor Sanna showed any emotion when the sentence was handed down. When they were marched from the courtroom, Vivier cried openly. She said she had been prepared for the worst.
"I know I am innocent and will take the matter further until I have proven this - even if it has to go to the Constitutional Court.
"From the start it was clear that there was a conspiracy against Sanna and me. The main reason was that some of the white men could not handle the fact that I mixed with men of other races.
"Most of the state's witnesses were white males. They were against me because I was too friendly and declined their attentions."
Sanna said a great deal of the evidence before the court was based on hearsay and amounted to one person's words against another.
Colonel Francis Botha, senior military judge, said in her ruling that Vivier's behaviour should have been irreproachable as an ambassador for South Africa in Kinshasa.
"But you chose to trash the country's name. An officer is appointed by the president to serve the country with dignity and set an example.
"You set no example (for your subordinates) and you did not serve your country with dignity. You were also the leading reason why corporal Sanna was found guilty."
Botha told Sanna that it was "crystal clear" that he had no military discipline. He called Vivier by her name, pushed her around and assaulted some of his senior colleagues.
"Corporals are the backbone of the defence force. Your conduct was not that of someone with backbone. Your behaviour shattered the image of South Africa and that of the defence force."
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