the rollback of south africa's biological warfare program
the rollback of south africa's biological warfare program
the rollback of south africa's biological warfare program
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overseas business deals. 114<br />
In August 1988, Delta G scientists arranged for 1,000 kilograms <strong>of</strong><br />
methaqualone to be produced. The production manager at Delta G approached<br />
Dr. Philip Mijburgh, managing director <strong>of</strong> Medchem Consolidated<br />
Investments, and asked him to produce <strong>the</strong> methaqualone. What happened to<br />
<strong>the</strong> methaqualone and whe<strong>the</strong>r or not it was encapsulated remains unknown. 115<br />
The explanation given by witnesses at <strong>the</strong> Truth and Reconciliation<br />
Commission (TRC) hearings in 1998 was that <strong>the</strong> methaqualone was to be<br />
mixed into NGT (CR) gas and used for crowd control purposes. General<br />
Lothar Neethling testified that, on three occasions, he had been requested to<br />
provide Dr Basson with Mandrax tablets confiscated by <strong>the</strong> South African<br />
Narcotics Bureau (SANAB). He claimed that he had given Dr Basson<br />
approximately 200,000 tablets in total as well as quantities <strong>of</strong> LSD and dagga<br />
(marijuana), on <strong>the</strong> understanding that <strong>the</strong>y would be investigated to determine<br />
whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>y would be appropriate crowd control weapons. None <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
witnesses could provide <strong>the</strong> TRC with any information about tests that had<br />
been conducted in this regard and at least one witness stated that <strong>the</strong>se drugs<br />
would not be suitable for such a purpose. Medchem's role is noteworthy given<br />
<strong>the</strong> fact that Defense Minister Malan’s nephew, Dr. Mijburgh, was on <strong>the</strong><br />
board. Mijburgh benefited from privatization <strong>of</strong> both Medchem and Delta G<br />
Scientific in <strong>the</strong> early 1990s.<br />
In 1988, Dr. Knobel became Surgeon General, after Dr. Nieuwoudt died.<br />
Basson briefed Knobel, claiming that he had penetrated facilities in <strong>the</strong> USSR,<br />
Libya, <strong>the</strong> U.S., and UK (Porton Down), as well as in Belgium, France,<br />
Switzerland, Germany, and Israel. Knobel still believes Basson’s claims.<br />
However, in retrospect, Knobel found that Basson’s activities were not<br />
sufficiently monitored and that <strong>the</strong> working group committee approach to<br />
supervision was a mistake. 116 According to Gen. (ret.) Geldenhuys, 117 as <strong>the</strong><br />
1980s proceeded, Project Coast continued to be managed by committee, which<br />
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