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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projects and third force activities that were going on in South Africa. In early<br />
1992, Project Coast was still operating against <strong>the</strong> regime’s “enemies.”<br />
According to TRC testimony, Jan Lourens <strong>of</strong> RRL and Trevor Floyd <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
CCB allegedly took poisoned screwdrivers to London with plan to kill ANC<br />
leader, Pallo Jordan and SACP/ANC military leader, Ronnie Kasrils. Basson<br />
allegedly developed “poison beer” to be used against South African blacks.<br />
Privatization, Corruption, and Drugs<br />
In April 1990, Minister <strong>of</strong> Defense Malan decided to privatize Roodeplaat<br />
Research Laboratories and Delta G, and Protechnik. Since de Klerk had made<br />
<strong>the</strong> decision to start rolling back Project Coast, <strong>the</strong> Ministry <strong>of</strong> Defense and<br />
SADF could no longer afford to sustain <strong>the</strong> three companies and <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
employees. However, <strong>the</strong> privatization proceeded with insufficient government<br />
oversight. In three years, Project Coast operatives pocketed state assets totaling<br />
more than R50 million, all for an investment <strong>of</strong> as little as R350,000, and<br />
attracted <strong>the</strong> attention <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Office for Serious Economic Offences (OEO).<br />
Among <strong>the</strong> chief beneficiaries was former Special Forces soldier Philip<br />
Mijburgh, nephew <strong>of</strong> Magnus Malan. 137<br />
In July 1991, commercialization and privatization were put in motion.<br />
Malan ordered all research stopped by <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> August. Contracts with<br />
SADF were cancelled. The ownership <strong>of</strong> RRL and Delta G Scientific were<br />
transferred from Ministry <strong>of</strong> Defense to managers and scientists. In August<br />
1991, OSEO investigator Fouche testified to <strong>the</strong> TRC in 1996 that a five-year<br />
research contract between <strong>the</strong> SADF and Roodeplaat was canceled by <strong>the</strong><br />
SADF on <strong>the</strong> same day Roodeplaat was privatized and transferred to Mijburgh<br />
and o<strong>the</strong>r colleagues in August 1991. The termination <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> contract meant <strong>the</strong><br />
SANDF had to pay <strong>the</strong>se new owners R32.6 million in cancellation fees. In<br />
1992, Denel was created as <strong>the</strong> privatized production facility <strong>of</strong> ARMSCOR.<br />
However, ARMSCOR continued to control acquisitions and to maintain<br />
secrecy.<br />
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