OWN CORRESPONDENT, Pretoria | Saturday
A FORMER agent of the apartheid regime’s shadowy Civil Co-Operation Bureau, known only as Mr T, has revealed bizarre details of how he oversaw the hanging of a baboon foetus from a tree as part of a plot to “bewitch” Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Mr T, whose identity is being concealed because he fears for his family’s safety, told the High Court trial of Dr Wouter Basson about several projects carried out by his unit, which had as its aim to “smuggle with the heads of the enemy” and influence their thought processes.
Basson’s advocate, Jaap Cilliers, said it appeared as if there was some crazy person in the organisation who was “not right in the head” and that the operatives at the CCB clearly had “too much time on their hands”.
Mr T said the unit made use of experts such as anthropologists, sociologists and psychologists and wanted to change the thought processes of people. It was thought that using witchcraft would be a good method in a country where many were susceptible to occult influences.
“Bewitching” the offices of the Northern Transvaal Council of Churches was one of the projects described as “a huge success” for his unit. A report claimed the offices were closed for six weeks and the secretary did not return because of the region’s project.
Tutu said in a statement he never knew about the foetus until informed by authorities some time later, because his gardener had buried the foetus without telling him.
Mr T said he had also played a role in a plot to kill Transport Minister Dullah Omar by getting pills from former CCB operative Slang van Zyl and handing it to a person at his office. He knew there was a plan to tamper with Omar’s heart medication.
Infamous former CCB operative Ferdi Barnard – now serving a life sentence for the murder of activist David Webster – was at one time sent to shoot Omar, but did not carry out the operation.
Earlier this week, the court heard how prominent anti-apartheid cleric Rev Frank Chikane became violently ill while on a trip to America after his clothes were allegedly poisoned.
Basson has pleaded not guilty to 61 charges ranging from murder to fraud and drug trafficking.