'Mercenary' out on murder rap

2004-03-12 22:26

Craig Bishop and Bonnie Parker

Pietermaritzburg - One of the alleged ringleaders of the "coup plotters" arrested in Zimbabwe this week is out on R5 000 bail on a charge of murder before the High Court here.

Friends and relatives of Simon Witherspoon, a former South African Defence Force soldier, who now faces charges of attempting to topple the oil-rich government of Equatorial Guinea, are waiting anxiously to find out exactly what charges he will face in Zimbabwe.

Witherspoon was arrested along with 63 others claimed to be mercenaries - 20 South Africans, 23 Angolans, 18 Namibians, and two from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe, all of whom apparently also hold South African passports.

They were arrested after their Boeing was seized in Harare at the weekend.

Zimbabwe authorities have stated they will charge the men with seeking to topple the government of Equatorial Guinea.

The case has been postponed until Monday when charges are expected to be brought.

His bail conditions were relaxed

Witherspoon is out on bail from the Pietermaritzburg High Court on a murder charge after being implicated in the assault and murder of a suspected saddle thief, Paulos Mpangase in a forest in Lidgetton in August 2001.

Others implicated in the crime are Curries Post farm manager Grant McIntyre and Dargle Valley briquette factory owner, Owen Nelson, and two security company guards, Dennis Mchunu and Welcome Hlela.

The trial was postponed last December and will resume next month.

Bail conditions were relaxed after Witherspoon argued that he needed to travel overseas on business.

Another 15 men were arrested in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea.

Equatorial Guinea's information minister, Agustin Nse Nfumu, said ,the men were an advance group for the 64 others.

He said the leader of the group, a South African called "Mick", had confessed to a plot to kill the president.

If convicted, Witherspoon could face the death penalty although South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said on Friday officials were considering bringing the South Africans back home to face trial under laws banning mercenary activity.

It is also believed the plane was piloted by two former Executive Outcomes members, Niel Steyl and Hendrik Hamman.

However, Executive Outcomes disbanded in 1999 after South Africa's Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act was enacted.

The men's employer, Logo Logistics Ltd, said this week the whole affair was "a dreadful mistake".

Ensuring 'stable states'

Logo executive officer Charles Burrows told media the men were simply security guards for a mining operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Pretoria Institute of Security spokesperson Henri Boschoff told Weekend Witness it was dangerous to speculate on what the men would be charged with on Monday, but confirmed that possible charges include contravention of aviation regulations and illegal entry into Zimbabwe.

He added that the arrest was in line with African Union policy on ensuring "stable states".

- The Witness