THURSDAY, 5.30PM
The two envoys dispatched to SA by Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha to smoothe the diplomatic rumpus caused when information minister Walter Ofanagoro descibed SA as a “white country with a black head” were arrested on arrival at Wonderboom airport near Pretoria on Thursday.
Mandela denied the meeting with Nigerian envoys Rabu Dagari and Mohammed Doba had anything to do with a reported diplomatic row between South Africa and the west African nation. The topic concerned a “sensitive matter” he had been discussing with Abacha since Tuesday, Mandela said at his Houghton, Johannesburg residence.
Mandela also revealed that the aircraft carrying the envoys was diverted once they arrived in South African air space on Wednesday night. The aircraft was scheduled to land at Johannesburg International Airport but instead touched down at Wonderboom, where the two Nigerians were arrested and briefly detained, Mandela said.
The envoys were on Thursday granted a meeting with Mandela, who said he had apologised to them and will be sending a formal apology to Abacha. He also promised an investigation into the incident. “I have already spoken to [Transport Minister] Mac Maharaj about this. We will take the strongest disciplinary action if any sinister motive is found to have caused this,” Mandela said.
Mandela added his discussions with Dagari and Doba had solved the “sensitive issue”, but refused to divulge the topic.