/ 29 April 2004

Fifth South African killed in Iraq

The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that a fifth South African has been killed in Iraq.

”The South African diplomatic mission in Kuwait has confirmed the death of yet another South African in the ongoing conflict in Iraq,” the department said in a statement.

The name of the man, who was killed on Thursday, could not yet be released, the department said.

”The government extends its heartfelt condolences to members of the bereaved family,” the department added.

Reports from Basra, in southern Iraq, said a civilian, believed to be South African, was killed in a drive-by shooting in the city earlier in the day.

”We can confirm there was a shooting incident this morning in Basra at approximately 9:15 am (7.15 SA time) and a non-Iraqi civilian has been killed,” Major Ian Clooney, a spokesperson for the British military, told AFP.

”We believe him to be a South African.”

South Africa does not have a diplomatic mission in Iraq and earlier this year warned citizens that the troubled country was considered a conflict zone under the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act which made it an offence to render security services there.

The first four South Africans killed there were all performing such functions. The circumstances and occupation of the latest casualty is not yet known. It appears he may not have been a security guard.

Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said that government was concerned about rising number of South Africans dying in Iraq, ”particularly after the call by Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad on South Africans not to go to Iraq”.

On January 28 Francois Strydom (42) was in a 250kg suicide bomb blast in front of the Shaheen Hotel in Baghdad.

He was part of a group of South Africans staying there for the week. Reports say Iraqi Labour Minister Sami Azara al-Majun was using parts of the hotel as offices.

Strydom was working for SAS International, a subcontractor of security company Erinys. The group was reportedly safeguarding Americans. He had formerly been a member of the police Special Task Force, the defunct Koevoet counterinsurgency unit in northern Namibia and the disbanded police security branch.

Another South African, Deon Gouws (43) was seriously injured in the same blast.

Gray Branfield (55) of Roodepoort, was killed in al-Kut in eastern Iraq on April 6 when the house he was staying in with other security personnel came under attack. His head was severed and his body hanged upside down in public. Before working for Hart Security in Iraq he had been involved in a number of covert SA Defence Force projects and had served in the Rhodesian security forces.

Henry ”Vis” Visagie (28) also of Roodepoort, died on April 12 in hospital after losing a five-day fight for his life after being shot in the head when a convoy he was travelling in between Amman in Jordan and Baghdad came under fire near Fallujah. He was employed by Erinys-Iraq. Visagie had been a member of the police’s Special Task Force.

Francois de Beer, thought to be in his early 30s, was shot dead on April 22 while buying foodstuff in a Baghdad shop. He was apparently employed by Meteoric Tactical Solutions of Pretoria and was reportedly guarding ”coalition officials” working at the Iraqi health ministry. His interpreter and the shopkeeper were wounded. – Sapa