I was framed, says top officer

The commanding officer-to-be of the Durban Light Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Sibusiso Mbuyazi, denies wearing a dead man’s medals at a parade in Pretoria in August, labelling allegations that he did so as a racist attack to smear his name.

In an interview with The Mercury yesterday, Mbuyazi, 42, said the “six” medals were permanently displayed on his tunic.

“I just put my tunic on. I don’t look down. If there were other medals there, someone must have put them there,” he said.

Mbuyazi allegedly wore the late Chaplain Patrick Montgomery’s medals at a parade when he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel.

He officially takes charge of the DLI tomorrow.

A charge of theft has been laid against him by the DLI headquarter’s board chairman, Mike Adrain, because the medals were reportedly stolen from a display cabinet at the unit in May.

The SANDF has issued a military order charging him with wearing another soldier’s medals.

But Mbuyazi said he was framed. “I have six medals, one for 10 years’ service, another for 20 years’ service. I can’t remember what the others were for. After the parade I put my tunic down in the offices at the Pretoria headquarters.”

The receptionist on duty at headquarters told him that someone “went to my jacket and started fiddling with the medals and taking pictures”.

“When I got back to my room I noticed that all my medals were gone,” he said.

Mbuyazi said the person probably pinned the medals on his jacket earlier and was seen looking at them and photographing them. He accused the person of removing all the medals, including his own.

Mbuyazi also denied that he had said he had “borrowed the medals from a friend”.

“I was not welcomed here. Transformation has to take place. This is a black-white thing. I looked at the charges and just laughed. I’m strong, but I am feeling that my life is threatened now,” he said.

The Mercury established from military files that Mbu-yazi officially had four medals: the Unitas medal and general service medal – 10 years, a loyal service medal with a 20-year bar and the Protea bronze.

After Montgomery’s death his medals were given to the DLI by his family for display purposes. The chaplain was awarded seven medals which included the John Chard Decoration and bar for 30 years’ service.

Mbuyazi also reportedly wore the medals to an official dinner after the parade.

While SANDF spokesman Xolani Mabanga failed to respond, Colonel Pat Acutt, senior staff officer of the Defence Reserves in KZN, said Mbuyazi was likely to appear before a military judge in the next few weeks.