Seventh SA man killed in Iraq

By Graeme Hosken

A seventh South African has been killed in Iraq, but unlike the others the latest victim was employed to help rebuild the strife-torn country.

The man, who was employed by a well-known Gauteng construction company, was killed in an ambush.

The South African, who lived with his wife and young daughter outside Pretoria, is the seventh South African to have been killed in Iraq since January. The other South Africans were involved in the security industry.

Last Thursday two South Africans were killed by Shi'a insurgents in separate attacks on United States-coalition forces in Basra and Fallujah. The latest fatality occurred in Kirkuk.

'Only those working in a security capacity in a conflict zone would be prosecuted'
The South African, whose name has yet to be released by the department of foreign affairs, was killed on his way to the shops.

The South African who was travelling with a New Zealander, also employed as a construction worker, was killed along with his Iraqi driver when they were ambushed.

The New Zealander died of his wounds a short while later.

According to the news agency AP, the South African and New Zealander were working on a construction project in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

The construction company was contracted by the US Government.

It is believed the two were part of a road and installation construction project in the area.

In a statement released on Monday, the department of foreign affairs confirmed that a South African had died in the attack.

The statement said the South African diplomatic mission in Kuwait had confirmed the death.

Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said the government extended its heartfelt condolences to members of the family.

He said they were reiterating the call made earlier by the Minister of Foreign Affairs for South Africans to avoid going to Iraq, "given the potential danger facing them there and the fact that it is a conflict region".

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi said if a person was participating in an international conflict zone without the permission of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) they could be prosecuted.

"But," said Nkosi, "Only those working in a security capacity in a conflict zone would be prosecuted."

He said if someone, like the seventh South African who died, worked in a conflict zone for a humanitarian purpose they would not be prosecuted.

Nkosi said the NPA was working closely with the SAPS Crimes Against the State Unit to investigate South Africans and South African firms working in Iraq.

National police spokesperson Director Sally de Deer confirmed that the Crimes Against the State Unit was conducting investigations into South Africans working in conflict zones, but declined to comment on the nature of such investigations "as they are of an extremely sensitive nature".

The NCACC decides whether South Africans working in international conflict zones have contravened the Foreign Military Assistance Act (FMAA).

The FMAA regulates the rendering of foreign military assistance by South African juristic persons, citizens, persons permanently resident within the Republic and foreign citizens rendering such assistance from within the borders of South Africa.

From: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?sf=2813&art_id=vn20040511032255230C892791