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Zimbabwe to Free More Than 60 South African Mercenaries

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  • Zimbabwe to Free More Than 60 South African Mercenaries

    Voice of America
    March 4 2005

    Zimbabwe to Free More Than 60 South African Mercenaries

    By Peta Thornycroft
    Harare
    04 March 2005

    A lawyer for more than 60 suspected South African mercenaries jailed
    in Zimbabwe for their involvement in a coup plot in oil-rich
    Equatorial Guinea says they may return to South Africa on Saturday.

    The year long saga of a suspected coup plot in Equatorial Guinea is
    drawing to a close as a group of South Africans' prison sentences are
    reduced by four months following an appeal to the country's second
    highest court.

    Back home in South Africa, they face charges under the country's
    anti-mercenary legislation. But lawyers say they are likely to
    negotiate a plea bargain and be instantly released.

    According to South Africa and Equatorial Guinea, the men had planned
    to fly to Malabo, overthrow the government and install an exiled
    opposition leader.

    Among the alleged plotters was British businessman Mark Thatcher, son
    of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He was accused of
    partially financing the alleged plot and was recently fined $500,000
    by a South African court for violating its anti-mercenary laws.

    The group's alleged ringleader, former British army officer Simon
    Mann still has four years of his sentence to serve in Zimbabwe's
    maximum security prison on the outskirts of Harare.

    His lawyer Jonathan Samkange has hinted he might get a presidential
    pardon around the time local elections are held at the end of the
    month. South African and Equatorial Guinean prosecutors want to try
    him for the alleged coup attempt.

    In Equatorial Guinea, a more than a dozen South Africans and
    Armenians are serving long prison sentences for their role in the
    alleged plot.

    The men detained in Harare had flown in from South Africa to collect
    weapons bought from the Zimbabwe government's defense industries.

    South African intelligence operatives had tipped off Zimbabwean
    security forces who arrested the men. They claimed they were on their
    way to guard a mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    The men were tried and pled guilty to relatively minor immigration
    and firearms charges. The state had no evidence to connect them to
    the alleged plot in Equatorial Guinea. Zimbabwe has no legislation to
    prevent mercenary activities.

    Attorney Alwyn Griebenow, who represents the men in Harare waiting to
    be released, says they could be home on Saturday.

    He says he is not sure why they have not already been released
    because all the documentation is complete. He also said he is not
    sure if they are sent to the airport Saturday whether there will be
    any seats available on a flight to Johannesburg.
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