Mercenary: Govt knew of coup
2009-11-22 12:37
Julian Rademeyer
Johannesburg - South Africa's intelligence agencies knew about the planned coup in Equatorial Guinea at least six months before it took place in March 2004. But they failed to do anything stop it and gave it their tacit approval, freed mercenary Niek du Toit says.
Du Toit, the plot's point-man, revealed in an exclusive interview with Rapport, that he had planned to “walk away” from the plot but was persuaded that South Africa wanted it to go ahead and would take no action against him and his co-conspirators.
The former Reconnaissance soldier and veteran of wars in Angola, Namibia (formerly South West Africa), Sierre Leone and Liberia said the plot was “compromised” from the start by government informers, spies and leaks.
“We were under the impression that if it did finally take place, we would have some support from the government... We were covered, we didn't have to worry very much.”
Both Simon Mann, the former British SAS officer who masterminded the coup attempt, and Du Toit's close friend and business partner Henri van der Westhuizen assured him that they had “inside information” that the South African government would not act against them.
Joined Special Forces
Van der Westhuizen had previously worked for military intelligence in the 1980s before joining the Special Forces where he drew up “elimination” dossiers of ANC targets. He had maintained ties with intelligence agencies after 1994.
“In September or October 2003, Henri showed me an intelligence intercept he had got from his contacts which showed that the government was aware of what we were planning.”
“I gave it to Simon Mann and said the operation was compromised, we can't continue.”
Mann's response was that it “is all right, we are covered”.
“I asked Henry what he thought and he said, 'no, you must leave it, you are going to burn your fingers'."
Wanted to catch the financiers
“I was on the point of walking out when, three days before we were due to fly to Equatorial Guinea, Henry told me he had spoken to a woman called Ayanda who worked for the intelligence services”.
“She said we should go ahead because they want to catch the people financing the coup."
“Henry left me with the impression that while the government would not formally recognise the coup, we would get some sort of support...We were just the pawns, we would not pick up big problems.”
What Du Toit didn't know was that Van der Westhuizen had reportedly also met former National Prosecuting Authority boss Bulelani Ngcuka on February 17 or 18 2004 and told him about the plan. Ngcuka said little and Van der Westhuizen took it to mean they were not being warned off. He gave the Scorpions an affidavit saying he had tried to get Du Toit to walk away but that Mann had said the investors “spent too much money on the project and...would definitely kill them if they withdraw”.
Du Toit confirmed the threat to Rapport.
Threatened
“Simon told me: 'The people behind this are very influential. If we withdraw they can do a lot of damage to you and your family'. I took it as a veiled threat.
“I don't easily allow myself to be threatened and I'm not afraid of much. But when it comes to your family, you have to pay attention.”
He threw caution to the wind, ignored all the “flashing red lights” and boarded the plane.
But there were just too many leaks and informants.
James Kershaw, a young computer wizard, was one. He ran the plotter's administration, finances and communications. But Kershaw was also on the payroll of Nigel Morgan, a former military intelligence officer in the British Army's Irish Guards.
First and last coup attempt
Morgan works as a freelance intelligence operative, hawking information to the British and South African spies from his home in the mountains near Harrismith in the Free State.
Mann also had frequent contact with Morgan.
“Everyone knows Nigel Morgan works for the South African intelligence services. I was very worried about that,” Du Toit said.
“Kershaw was the centre-point around which everything Simon Mann did in South Africa revolved. He knew everything. Mann could just as well have gone to the government and said: 'Listen here, this is my plan.'”
Du Toit said he would never again contemplate something like the Equatorial Guinea coup plot.
“Of course, you learn your lesson. If you didn't learn from something like this, then you're stupid. It was my first and last coup attempt.”
He feels betrayed by his friends.
Documents were stolen out of his house and the conspirators “stabbed each other in the back”.
“If Henri hadn't told me I must go ahead because that is what the government wants, I would have dropped the whole thing.
“We were friends who had a close relationship of trust. But his actions showed that the friendship meant nothing to him.”
- Rapport