The Herald : News

Two East Cape men among 70 held in Z’babwe

TWO Eastern Cape men are among the 67 alleged “mercenaries” and three crew members detained in Zimbabwe since last week.

Port Elizabeth lawyer Alwyn Griebenow has been hired by Nico du Preez to represent his identical twin, Louis, 39, who is one of the two Eastern Cape men who have been imprisoned in Harare since last Sunday. The family of the second Eastern Cape detainee did not want his identity revealed, Mr Griebenow said.

The 70 men were arrested at the Harare International airport on the suspicion that they were on their way to Equatorial Guinea to help carry out a coup. The Boeing which they flew in was impounded with its cargo, a rubber dingy, camouflage paint, two-way radios, night vision goggles, cylindrical metal tubes and camouflage uniforms.

Mr Griebenow said yesterday the men were not “mercenaries”, but were “contracted by a South African security company to do work at a diamond mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo”.

The men are being detained at Chikurubi maximum prison, about 20km from Harare.

Mr Griebenow said he and Johannesburg-based advocate Francois Joubert had their first consultation with the South Africans on Saturday, under the watchful eyes of 10 Zimbabwean investigating officers and an interpreter. He said although there had been rumours of torture, he saw no physical signs of torture or abuse.

“The men were all in good spirits and they had no complaints about abuse or torture. I had a four-hour consultation with them on Saturday and again yesterday,” Mr Griebenow said. He was not allowed to speak to his clients in Afrikaans, he said.

The men were arrested under the Zimbabwean immigration law, which allows offenders to be detained for up to 14 days before appearing in court. During yesterday’s consultation they were able to take 12 statements from the men.

Their nationalities are: 13 South Africans, 28 Namibians, 24 Angolans, three Congolese, one Zimbabwean and another who has dual citizenship with Britain.

A third attorney flew to Zimbabwe yesterday to represent the pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer.

Mr Griebenow had no idea as to how long the legal process would take. However, he said there was a possibility the South Africans might be charged and prosecuted in South Africa. On both occasions the legal team visited the prison they were accompanied by the South African ambassador in Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe police charged 60 of the 70 suspects with attempting to purchase firearms in Zimbabwe without a certificate.

Local attorney Jonathan Samkange said all 67 men on board the Boeing would eventually be charged under the same law, while the three others would be charged with purchasing weapons without a certificate.

Alleged ringleader Simon Mann – who would probably be charged today – claimed to have an agreement signed with the state-owned Zimbabwe Defence Industries to purchase weapons, including AK-47s, grenades, rocket launchers and ammunition.

“How is it unlawful where there is an agreement?” Mr Samkange said.

Police had drafted a charge sheet which accused them under firearms control legislation of “attempting to conspire to acquire” military weapons, and also under immigration laws for “failing to declare themselves” when they arrived, Mr Samkange said.

However, the investigating officer admitted to him yesterday that authorities still had not decided on what the final charges would be, he said.

The draft charge sheet listed 10 Browning pistols, 61 AK47 rifles, 20PKM light machine guns, 100 RPG rocket launchers, two mortar tubes, 150 hand grenades, flares and ammunition for weaponry, which they had allegedly “attempted to conspire to acquire from Zimbabwe Defence Industries”, he said.

The last case involving alleged mercenaries in Zimbabwe was in 1999, when three US missionaries were arrested with a collection of sporting firearms in their luggage.

They were held in jail for eight months and severely tortured with electroshocks, half-drowning and sustained assault and also kept in solitary confinement, naked and manacled, with their cell lights on for 24 hours. Despite accusations that they were “mercenaries plotting to assassinate Mr Mugabe”, no charges of insurrection were brought against them and they were released after serving two months of six-month sentences for firearms and aviation control offences.

A Sunday newspaper yesterday published the names of 13 men it says are the South Africans being held.

Rapport said it obtained the names from diplomatic and intelligence sources. It named the sole British subject being held as Mr Mann and the only Zimbabwean as Malani Moyo.

The 13 names are: Johannes Muyongo, Avelino Dala, Errol Harris, Never Matias, Raymond Archer, Maitre Raukuluka, Louis du Preez, Harmanus Carlse, Simon Witherspoon, Kenneth Pain, pilot Neil Steyl, Hendrik Hamman and Lawrence Horn.

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