A young Cape Flats man says his family rescued him from “bogus army recruiters” after they made him eat pap, sleep on the floor and forced him to do drills.
The man and four other recruits claim they were held hostage at the base camp in Athlone and now want to warn others not to fall for the same “scam”.
But the South African Corps Military Veterans Association (SACCMA), an organisation comprised of veterans of the former South African Defence Force say they are gatvol of being called skelms and say they are running a legit boot camp.
The 22-year-old man from Strandfontein contacted the Daily Voice last week saying his mom “rescued” him and four others from the camp run by SACCMA at a run-down building in Petunia Street, Bridgetown.
The man claimed he had only been given pap and coffee without sugar and was forced to “basically sleep on the floor”.
ACCUSED: Previous story
The family say they had responded to a “recruitment drive” on WhatsApp, offering training and jobs in the army, and last Sunday the man and his friends reported to the office.
“Our parents brought two pockets of potatoes as a donation, but when they left, the people who were supposed to train us were sitting and drinking (alcohol) at the back,” the man says.
“The Monday morning we had physical training and one of the boys got sick and they didn’t even ask him if he is allergic to anything, which he was.”
The man’s mother says her daughters decided to look up SACCMA on the internet “and saw that they are running scam and we knew we had to get them out”.
GATVOL OF NAME SHAME: General Gary Lakay at camp. PHOTO: Jack Lestrade/Daily Voice
On Monday, she went to fetch her son and friends, claiming there was a family emergency.
However, General Gary Lakay and Brigadier Ronnie Koopman tells the Daily Voice they are not running a scam, and are not affiliated to the SA National Defence Force.
They admitted there was a recruitment drive for their three-month programme, which they describe as “an intense army-style discipline routine”.
“We target children who are on drugs or in gangs. We are old army, we are placing discipline in them, drills, neatness and religious studies,” says Lakay.
“This is not a drug rehabilitation centre. This is not a jail. We do not take money from anyone, we ask for donations like potatoes or rice.”
The Daily Voice was also allowed to speak to two female recruits, who said they were happy to be there.
“This is not a prison, we came here for discipline and we were not forced to stay here,” a 27-year-old woman from Manenberg says.
In 2012 and 2016, SACCMA was also accused of being fake.
REAL DEAL: Ronnie Koopman. PHOTO: Jack Lestrade/Daily Voice
Charges of fraud were laid against the alleged mastermind, “General” Jan Alexander, while the SANDF confirmed it had no ties with the organisation.
The SACCMA, also operating as the Khoisan Kingdom and All People (KKAAP), promised desperate people guaranteed jobs in the army with salaries of up to R45 000 a month.
People had to pay a “joining” fee ranging from R150 to R2 000, but last year, a recruit from Roodepoort in Gauteng, Kennit Mecuur, said no fees were requested.
He said a woman from Athlone came to recruit youngsters, but when they came to Petunia Street, all they found was a run-down building.
He was eventually rescued by family members in Cape Town.