'Coup details revealed'
2004-03-14 11:01
Johannesburg - City Press reports that a Walkerville plot, just south of Johannesburg, was the headquarters of the activities of the mercenaries who were arrested in Zimbabwe while on their way to oust the government of Equatorial Guinea.
The report says the 70 men in Zimbabwean custody are mainly black former members of 32 Battalion, a mainly black special unit in the old SA Defence Force (SADF) that was used to track down and torture freedom fighters.
City Press says the men were paid R3 000 for the two weeks of training and as part payment for the coup; the white members got R5 000. One of the men told his wife he would be paid R16 000 a month and be allowed two weeks leave to return home.
City Press says SA intelligence had been monitoring the plot in Walkerville because the owner is a known right-winger with ties to the Boeremag. A raid on the premises is imminent.
The group boarded the aircraft at Wonderboom airport outside Pretoria but had to land in Polokwane to clear customs.
Sourced arms and ammunition
The leaders of the expedition, Simon Witherspoon and Simon Mann, had sourced arms and ammunition, including AK-47 rifles, mortars and grenade launchers, from Zimbabwe Defence Industries (ZDI), apparently because of the low price.
They said the arms were to be used for the defence of mining operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
ZDI had informed Zimbabwe's Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), which encouraged the sale in order to ensure an arrest. By the time the 'plane landed in Harare, the Zimbabwean security operation was in place to effect the arrest.
South African intelligence sources informed President Thabo Mbeki, who then told the president of Equatorial Guinea, Obiang Nguema. Fifteen men were arrested in that country, including Nick du Toit, who has since made a confession.
City Press understands that a Lebanese man known as Elly, a US citizen known only as Grant, the Sher Foundation and Simon Mann backed the coup in Equatorial Guinea. These four would constitute the nerve centre of the new finance department in the post-coup government.
Exiled leader
Exiled opposition leader Severo Moto Nsa, who is said to have paid Witherspoon and his co-leaders US$10m would arrive hours after the coup and declare himself the new leader. Nguema would be exiled to Spain.
The Spanish government, and particularly Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, has been linked by the mercenaries to the coup, City Press says. He was alleged to be in line to get oil concessions from Moto.
A debate is raging between SA, Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea about where the men should be tried.
Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi said on Saturday that Equatorial Guinea has formally asked for assistance with their investigation and this would be provided.