An aircraft seized by the Zimbabwe government on Sunday was carrying men believed to be linked to a South African mercenary company and to the elite British Special Air Services regiment, the Zimbabwe government said on Tuesday night.
It indicated the group had come to collect weapons bought in Zimbabwe.
Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi said on state television that on board the flight were 20 South Africans, 32 Angolans, 18 Namibians, two from the Democratic Republic of Congo and a Zimbabwean with a South African passport.
The spokesperson for the group appeared to be Simon Witherspoon, ”a known South African mercenary who has operated in various countries in Africa, including Côte d’Ivoire,” he said.
Witherspoon had served in the South African defence forces until 1989 and then joined Executive Outcomes, he said. He did not elaborate on their alleged connection to the British special forces regiment.
When the aircraft landed at Harare International airport, its captain had said the plane contained no cargo and only seven passengers, he said.
”Contrary to the information… 64 male adults were found on the plane,” he said.
The aircraft was met by an ”advance party” of three men. Mohadi named one of them as Simon Mann. He said Mann and another he named as Nicholas du Toit had arrived in Zimbabwe earlier and stated they wanted to buy arms there to sponsor an armed rebel group in Angola.
”But they later changed their story that they wanted to protect a mining concern in the DRC.”
A spokesperson for the British-based company, Logo Logistics, that owns the aircraft said earlier in London that the group was on its way to do demining work in the DRC. Mohadi said that Zimbabwe did not appear to be the group’s final destination.
Meanwhile, the government of Equatorial Guinea announced on Tuesday that the mercenaries had been employed to assassinate the president of Equatorial Guinea, SABC radio news reported on Tuesday.
On Tuesday the Information Minister of Equatorial Guinea, Agustin Nse Nfumu, said his government had detained 15 suspected mercenaries, and declared they were an ”advance party” for the group of 64 on board the impounded aircraft.
He said the leader of the group, a white South African called ”Mick”, had confessed to a plot to kill the president.
However, Logo Logistics, in a statement sent to Sapa, said that ”contrary to some reports” the people on board the aircraft were in transit to the DRC.
”They are contracted to provide a range of services to mining clients, including logistics, support services, asset and human security, and communications”.
What had been described as ”military” items on board were in fact equipment such as boots, pipe-bending and wire-cutting tools, the firm declared. Some of the contractors on board were South African citizens, the company said.
Its statement was not sourced to an individual, giving merely an e-mail address and a telephone contact number in the United Kingdom. The only reply was an electronic message.
Rumours have since abounded about the occupants, destination, and ownership of the aircraft. The US government denied that it was a US aircraft and some sources stated it was registered in South Africa.
On Tuesday South Africa’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the cargo plane was not registered in South Africa.
”Our investigation shows that this aircraft is not registered or even provisionally registered in South Africa. The ”N” indicates that this is a US-registered aircraft,” said CAA spokesperson Moses Seate.
Logo Logistics said the aircraft was leased from an asset management company Systems Design.
”It is newly purchased, so it’s still on the US register. There is no other link with the US.”
The CAA also confirmed that the Boeing 727-100 departed from Polokwane International Airport on Sunday. Whether it flew directly to Zimbabwe was not known, the agency said.
Logo said its equipment was normally acquired in South Africa. It did not give details on the flight path of the aircraft before it entered Zimbabwean air space.
”We can make it clear that we have no current or intended business in Zimbabwe and certainly no illegal intentions against its government and people.”
The company said it was aware of the political sensitivities of the Zimbabwean government.
”However, we assume that, once the Zimbabwean authorities have completed their work, it (our aircraft) can swiftly return to use.”
Logo Logistics said their first concern was the welfare of the contractors.
”They and their families have had an extremely distressing time. It is our intention that they return to their homes for a few days to recuperate before recommencing work.”
South Africa’s foreign affairs department said it had since Sunday been in close contact with Zimbabwean envoy Jerry Ndou.
”Should the allegations that those South Africans on board are involved in mercenary activities prove true, this would amount to a serious breach of the Foreign Military Assistance Act,” the department said on Monday night.
Logo Logistics denied their contractors had broken any South African laws.
”We appreciate that the South African government may wish to debrief its citizens on their return from their ordeal, but that is a different matter.”
The company’s website states that it has so far operated in African countries such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, Congo, Angola, Zambia and Mozambique.
”Common key attributes” found in staff in its service include ”discretion, political sensitivity,(and) military experience”.
Services offered by Logo Logistics include ”risk intelligence and assessment, support helicopter operations, service support in harsh environments, (and) rough field and parachute air re-supply”.
South African foreign affairs spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa said on Tuesday night his department was not yet in a position to give further comment on the matter. – Sapa