DATE=  10/7/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-220937

TITLE=SAF U-S SPIES (L-ONLY)

  BYLINE=DELIA ROBERTSON

DATELINE=JOHANNESBURG

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:



INTRO:  THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT SAYS IT WAS  NOT  IN ANY WAY

INVOLVED IN THE RECENT ARREST (MONDAY) OF THREE ALLEGED SPIES IN

THE UNITED STATES.  HOWEVER, AS V-O-A'S DELIA ROBERTSON REPORTS

FROM OUR JOHANNESBURG BUREAU, PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA SAYS HE

WOULD HAVE ASSISTED, IF ASKED.



TEXT:  PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA SAYS SOUTH AFRICA IS  NOT  AND

NEVER HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE SO-CALLED "STING" OPERATION IN

WHICH U-S FEDERAL OFFICERS POSED AS AGENTS OF SOUTH AFRICA IN

ORDER TO EFFECT THE ARREST OF THREE ALLEGED SPIES.  HOWEVER, MR.

MANDELA SAID HE WOULD HAVE BEEN PREPARED TO ASSIST, IF HE HAD

BEEN ASKED.



SOUTH AFRICA WAS DRAWN INTO THE AFFAIR BECAUSE THE AGENTS POSED

AS SOUTH AFRICANS AFTER ONE OF THE ALLEGED SPIES -- THERESA MARIE

SQUILLACOTE -- WROTE TO DEPUTY DEFENSE MINISTER RONNIE KASRILS.



IN A STATEMENT, DEPUTY PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI SAID THAT IN 1995,

MS. SQUILLACOTE WROTE TO MR. KASRILS TO CONGRATULATE HIM ON THE

PUBLICATION OF HIS BOOK ABOUT HIS YEARS IN THE ANTI-APARTHEID

STRUGGLE.  //OPT// THE BOOK IS TITLED "ARMED AND DANGEROUS".

//END OPT//  MR. MBEKI SAYS MS. SQUILLACOTE USED THE PSEUDONYM

"LISA MARTIN", AND ALSO EXPRESSED HER SATISFACTION WITH THE NEW

DEMOCRACY IN THIS COUNTRY.  LATER, MR. KASRILS SENT A CHRISTMAS

CARD THANKING HER FOR HER INTEREST.



THAT, SAYS MR. MBEKI, WAS THE SUM OF THE CONTACT BETWEEN THE TWO.

HE SAID REPORTS THAT MS. SQUILLACOTE OFFERED IN HER LETTER TO SPY

FOR SOUTH AFRICA ARE UNTRUE.



MR. MBEKI SAID THE U-S FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION -- OR

F-B-I  --INTERCEPTED THE CORRESPONDENCE BECAUSE MS. SQUILLACOTE

WAS ALREADY UNDER INVESTIGATION.  HOWEVER HE DID  NOT  EXPLAIN

HOW MR. KASRILS BECAME AWARE THAT "THERESA MARIE SQUILLACOTE" AND

"LISA MARTIN" WERE THE SAME INDIVIDUAL. (SIGNED)



NEB/DAR/PCF







07-Oct-97 12:01 PM EDT (1601 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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