There was confusion on Saturday over whether one of the alleged Equatorial Guinea coup plotters had died in jail, with the Department of Foreign Affairs saying it was unable to confirm a report of the death.
”We have no confirmation of that,” said departmental spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa. ”We had a consular visit yesterday [Friday] and all were in good shape. We have not a have a report on a change in status.”
After hearing a South African Broadcasting Corporation radio news report that Sergio Cardoso had died, Mamoepa said he checked and was unable to confirm it.
Chris Greyling, chairperson of the South African Special Forces League, said he had received a report of the death on Saturday morning.
”We were advised this morning by one of our guys, who was part of the alleged coup, that one of the people had died,” he said. ”We obviously had no reason to doubt that and put it out on our network.”
When he heard that the Department of Foreign Affairs had counted everyone alive and present on its consular visit, the source was contacted again and the information given previously was confirmed.
Greyling says he was trying to establish what the situation was. ”Why would someone want to spread disinformation? We acted in good faith. We are trying to get as much information as we possibly can.”
The men are alleged to be part of a group in March 2004 that was plotting to kill Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
Sixty-one of the group returned to South Africa in 2005 after spending more than a year in a Zimbabwean prison for violating immigration, aviation, firearms and security laws.
Four South Africans are still in jail in Equatorial Guinea. — Sapa