Question NW1940 to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
17 September 2020 - NW1940
Marais, Mr S to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
(1)Whether the 32 Battalion still has a trust fund; if so, (a) what is the current quantum of funds in the specified trust fund and (b) for what purposes are the funds utilised; (2) (a) on what date was the trust fund established, (b) what total amount of funds have been (i) deposited into and (ii) spent from the trust fund in each financial year since its existence and (c) for what purposes was each amount spent?
Reply:
1. Unknown. The 32 Battalion Trust Fund was under facilitation of the SA Army Foundation for a short duration as a Non-Profit Fund (NPF). This remote connotation with the Trust Fund ceased on 24 November 2005 with the payment of all monies of the Trust Fund to the 32 Battalion Veterans’ Association. The SA Army had no insight nor provided any direction to the Trust Fund management on its financial aspects, including the purposes of the fund and/ or its expenditure, prior to or following this payment and cessation of the relationship.
2. (a) The 32 Battalion Trust Fund was established on 01 April 1993 as a Non-Public Fund (NPF) and was managed by the 32 Battalion Veterans’ Association.
(b) and (c) It is not known to the SA Army what amount of monies were administered by the 32 Battalion Veterans’ Association as the 32 Battalion Trust Fund is not under any purvey of the SA Army since 24 November 2005, when a payment of R954,218.12 was made by the SA Army Foundation to the 32 Battalion Veterans’ Association (in the name of Miracle Mile Investments 39 (Pty) Ltd.). The SA Army was never privy to the management of the 32 Battalion Trust Fund.