South Africa is investigating the death of one of its nationals among 68 suspected mercenaries convicted in Zimbabwe last month, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
Ngave Jarukemo Muharukua (35) a South African citizen, was admitted to hospital in Harare eight days ago and died on Tuesday, foreign affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said.
”The minister of foreign affairs has been informed of the death of a South African in Harare. He was transferred from Chikurubi prison to a local hospital where he died yesterday [Tuesday].
”We are in the process of investigating the circumstances leading to his death,” Mamoepa said.
The Sapa news agency said the man may have died of meningitis. Muharukua was one of 70 men arrested at Harare’s international airport in March when a plane they were travelling on stopped to pick up weapons from the state arms manufacturer.
Almost all of them were last month sentenced to prison terms ranging from one to seven years for violating Zimbabwean immigration, firearms and aviation laws.
Two of the men were acquitted but 67, including the deceased, got prison terms of between 12 and 16 months for breaching immigration laws.
Their leader and former British special services operative Simon Mann was sentenced to seven years in jail for attempting to illegally purchase weapons.
Zimbabwean authorities accused them of being on their way to depose the government of Tedoro Obiang Nguema, the longtime president of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea.
The men denied the charges and claimed they were on their way to protect diamond mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The alleged plot has embroiled some high-profile names including Mark Thatcher, the son of former British prime minister.
Thatcher, who lives in South Africa, is facing charges of financing the alleged coup.
The Ziana state news agency in Zimbabwe reported the death of Muharukua without giving the cause. – Sapa-AFP