‘Lojaliteit kan gekoop word met soveel geld’

‘Afgryslike bedrae geld” word aan die Seriti-kommissie se getuienisleiers betaal.

Dokumente van die parlementêre portefeuljekomitee oor justisie wys die kommissie se tien getuienisleiers verdien gesamentlik R50 miljoen per jaar.

Die vyf senior getuienisleiers kry elk gemiddeld R6 miljoen, terwyl die ander R4 miljoen per jaar betaal word om die land se omstrede wapentransaksies te ondersoek.

Drie senior advokate het op voorwaarde van anonimiteit gesê dié salarisse is buitensporig.

“Dit klink vir my na ’n afgryslike bedrag geld,” het ’n senior advokaat van die Oos-Kaap gesê.

“Daar bestaan beslis ’n gevaar dat jy met soveel geld iemand se lojaliteit kan koop.”

Die Johannesburgse Balieraad het gesê geen riglyne vir advokate se betaling bestaan nie aangesien hulle self hul tariewe vasstel.

Die kommissie, wat in November 2011 met sy werk begin het, het aanvanklik twee jaar en ’n begroting van R40 miljoen gekry om sy werk te voltooi.

Die kommissie het intussen erken hy gaan nie sy sperdatum haal nie en die R40 miljoen gaan te min wees.

Luidens die parlementêre dokumente word die kommissie se koste nou op R101,2 miljoen per jaar gereken – meer as vyf keer meer as die aanvanklike R20 miljoen wat hy sou kry.

Die departement van justisie het die salarisse verdedig en gesê die tien getuienisleiers word ingevolge die departement van staatsdiens en administrasie se riglyne betaal.

Dieselfde verslag wys die drie senior advokate wat as getuienisleiers by die Farlam-kommissie werk, verdien saam R10 miljoen per jaar – net meer as die helfte van dié by die Seriti-kommissie.

Dié kommissie, wat die Marikana-slagting ondersoek, kos die belastingbetaler ook heelwat minder – R47,6 miljoen per jaar.

Op die vraag hoekom die Seriti-kommissie soveel meer as die Farlam-kommissie kos, het Mthunzi Mhaga, departementele woordvoerder, gesê die koste van kommissies word bepaal deur die getal personeellede, die tydsduur van die kommissie, administrasiekoste, veiligheid en die kompleksiteit van die ondersoeke, asook waar die openbare verhore gehou word.

David Maynier, DA-LP, het gesê dit is verregaande om R50 miljoen per jaar tussen tien getuienisleiers te verdeel.

Volgens die begroting word R4,7 miljoen per jaar aan ’n forensiese ouditeur bestee.

“Gegewe die miljoen bladsye dokumente waartoe die kommissie toegang het, sou ek dink ’n beduidende bedrag sal opsy gesit word vir forensiese ouditwerk om die besonderhede van die wapentransaksies op te diep,” het Maynier gesê.

Hoewel dit nog nie amptelik aangekondig is nie, wys die dokumente die kommissie se sperdatum is met ’n jaar verleng.

William Baloyi, kommissiewoordvoerder, was nie daarvan bewus dat die kommissie se versoek vir ’n verlengde sperdatum goedgekeur is nie.

Hy wou nie kommentaar lewer op wat die getuienisleiers verdien nie.

...

Só bestee die kommissie

• Werknemers se vergoeding: R13,5 miljoen

• Goedere en dienste: R68,2 miljoen

• Masjinerie en toerusting: R115 000

• Litigasie (geskat): R20 miljoen

- Totale jaarlikse koste: R102 miljoen

Werknemers en konsultante kos:

• Werknemers (13): R13,5 miljoen.

• Regters (3): Salarisse deur die departement van justisie betaal.

• Konsultante (11), onder wie

* Senior getuienisleiers (5): R30 miljoen

* Getuienisleiers (5): R20 miljoen

* Forensiese ouditeur (1): R4,7 miljoen

- Totale jaarlikse koste: R68,2 miljoen

With acknowledgement to Erika Gibson en Beeld.

Seriti people earn millions

Beeld
Maryna Lamprecht
5 September 2013
http://www.beeld.com/nuus/2013-09-05-seriti-se-mense-verdien-miljoene


Loyalty can be purchased with as much money

' Horrific amounts of money " to pay Seriti Commission 's testimony leaders .

Documents show the parliamentary portfolio committee on justice earn the commission 's ten testimony leaders of R50 million every year .

The five senior testimony leaders each get an average of R6 million , while the other R4m/year paid to investigate the country's controversial arms deal .

Three senior advocates said on condition of anonymity that the salaries are excessive .

" It sounds to me like a disgusting amount of money , " said a senior advocate of the Eastern Cape .

" There is certainly a danger that with so much money can buy someone 's loyalty . "

The Johannesburg Bar Council said no guidelines for lawyers ' pay as they fix their own tariffs .

The commission , which began its work in November 2011 , initially for two years and had a budget of R40 million to complete his work .

The commission has since admitted that he will not make his deadline and the R40 million will be few .

According to parliamentary documents , the commission's costs have on R101 , counted 2 million a year - more than five times more than the original R20 million he would get.

The Justice Department has defended the salaries , saying the ten testimony leaders in terms of the Department of Public Service and Administration 's pay guidelines .

The same report shows the three senior advocates that leaders in evidence at Farlam commission work , earn R10 - million a year - just over half of those at the Seriti commission .

The commission investigating the Marikana massacre , taxpayers also cost less - R47 , 6 million per year .

When asked why the Seriti commission so much more than the Farlam Commission food, Mthunzi Mhaga Department spokesman , said the cost of commissions are determined by the number of staff , the duration of the commission, administration costs , safety and the complexity of the investigations and public hearings are held .

David Maynier , DA MP , said it was outrageous to R50 million per year divided between ten testimony leaders .

According to the budget , R4 , 7 million per year spent on a forensic auditor .

" Given the million pages of documents which the commission has access , I would think a significant amount will be set aside for forensic audit work out the details of the arms deals in too deep , " said Maynier .

Although not yet officially announced , that the documents the commission 's deadline is extended by a year .

William Baloyi , commission spokesman was not aware that the commission 's request for an extended deadline approved.

He declined to comment on the evidence leaders deserve .

...

So the commission spent

• Workers ' compensation : R13, 5 million

• Goods and services : R68, 2 million

• Machinery and equipment : R115 000

• Litigation ( estimated ) : R20 million

- Total annual cost : R102 million

Employees and consultants of food :

• Employees ( 13 ) : R13, 5 million .

• Judges ( 3 ) : The salaries paid by the Justice Department .

• Consultants ( 11 ) , including

* Senior witness leaders ( 5 ) : R30 million

* Evidence Leaders ( 5 ) : R20 million

* Forensic Auditor ( 1 ) : R4, 7 million

- Total annual cost : R68, 2 million

It's hard to think that the R102 million is an annual cost.

I told the commission more than a year ago that it would take 5 years and more than 100 staff to do a proper job.

So if the R102 million is annual then that's half a billion Rand.

That's double that the Chief Chacma spent on his cage.

And they only spend R115 000 on equipment which is far too little for a high-speed scanner (120 pages per minute @ USD32 190 or about R330 000) to scan the 4,7 million pages of documents that they have.

Penny foolish, pound foolish.