THE head of the Special Investigation Unit, Judge Willem Heath, says that it is known that arms deals in all countries are "a corrupt business".

"Arms deals internationally are known to be corrupt. The people who push these deals are often clever because each of them wants to get a contract. We are not saying that a syndicate was involved in the arms deal because we don't have evidence, but in this country anything is possible," said Heath.

The unit was recently excluded from joining three other agencies (the public protector, the directorate of public prosecution and the auditor-general) in investigating the controversial arms procurement deal.

Heath was addressing about 200 people at the Waverley Girls' High School in Highlands North, Johannesburg, last night. He said local and international syndicates were operative in SA to further their aims of corruption.

Heath, who will step down as head of the unit only after government has found his replacement, said he was saddened by the rising number of resignations from the unit since last year.

"The expertise that the unit got through training is being lost to companies in the private sector and to auditing firms. Many people have resigned from the unit since last year, and that is due to the speeches by some politicians which caused insecurity for some members of the unit," Heath said. It would be difficult for government to acquire similar expertise or to re-establish a similar investigating unit.

Heath said the unit was investigating 172 building contractors in Gauteng who had not fulfilled the terms of their contracts.

"Some of these contractors have already been paid for the work. But when we went to the sites where the houses were supposed to have been built, there were no houses, facilities or some were incomplete."

He urged the audience not to wait for government, but to begin doing things for themselves as "crime in (SA) has entered even the criminal justice system where we find corrupt prosecutors and magistrates.

"The community needs to be actively involved in fighting crime. You must begin to do things for yourselves and stop relying on other people."

May 31 2001 12:00:00:000AM Sibusiso Bubesi Business Day 2nd Edition

With acknowledgements to Sapa and Business Day.