SA denies supporting Taylor
2003-11-19 15:00
Pretoria - South Africa has denied giving financial support to former Liberian president Charles Taylor who lives in exile in Nigeria.
Reports in a Nigerian newspaper of Taylor receiving R7m a year were not true, said South Africa's Foreign Affairs department in Pretoria.
Spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa told Sapa: "Our ambassador to Nigeria, Stix Sifingo, has denied any knowledge thereof."
Democratic Alliance spokesperson on Africa Graham McIntosh described as extremely disturbing the article which he said appeared in the Daily Champion on Wednesday.
The paper quoted a source in the Nigerian presidency as saying the lifeline to Taylor formed part of a deal between him and South African President Thabo Mbeki. The former Liberian warlord went into exile under this pact earlier in the year, making way for a transitional government to guide his country to democracy.
According to McIntosh, the newspaper also said three prominent African leaders had offered Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe a financial package to step down. The leaders were not named.
Mamoepa said his department was not aware of the reported offer to Mugabe.
- SAPA