Guineans all set to catch Thatcher case on TV

Equatorial Guinea authorities have expressed approval of a precedent-setting court order allowing the South African Broadcasting Corporation to broadcast highlights of Sir Mark Thatcher's civil case against local justice authorities - and say they intend to watch each instalment with interest.

Thatcher was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday to challenge the validity of a subpoena forcing him to answer questions about his role in an alleged Equatorial Guinea coup plot.

His evidence is required in the Equatorial Guinea trial of 19 alleged mercenaries, who include South African Nick du Toit.

Justices Deon van Zyl, Essa Moosa and Daniel Dlodlo granted an order on Monday that would allow the SABC to film Thatcher's application and use its footage in an edited highlights package in its daily news bulletins and on its news and public interest programmes and various current affairs programmes.

Advocate Anton Katz told the Cape High Court on Monday that Thatcher's legal team did not oppose the SABC's application, but added that their main concern was that their client's case proceeded without delay on Tuesday - with or without television cameras.

In argument opposing the SABC's application, advocate Michael Donen SC suggested that footage of the hearing might not be perceived by foreign viewers in the way in which it was intended to be understood when it was filmed and edited.

While unwilling to say that the footage might have a negative impact on Du Toit's trial in Equatorial Guinea, Donen said Equatorial Guinea Attorney-General Jose Olo Obono was "very sensitive to all aspects of the media".

He pointed out that Du Toit had been recalled to testify about his involvement with Thatcher only after the release of global media coverage of Thatcher's arrest earlier this year for charges of violating South Africa's Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act. "Why this case of all cases?", he asked.

Advocate Brian Pincus SC, for the SABC, repeatedly assured the court that the order sought by the broadcaster ensured that certain "safeguards" against misrepresentation of the court hearing would constantly be maintained.

Among the provisions of the order is a condition that the court be empowered to declare that certain portions of the hearing be held in camera and therefore not televised - and allowing the court to destroy or delete pieces of footage, as it sees fit.

Babalwa Mntame from the South African state attorney's office told the Cape Argus that a delegation of Equatorial Guinea justice authorities currently in Pretoria - which includes Obono - were "happy" with the court's decision to allow the hearing to be televised.

Mntame said Obono would not be attending Thatcher's hearing, but would follow the case through the television highlights.

Obono and his delegation are scheduled to leave South Africa for Zimbabwe today and, thereafter, to travel to London, but Mntame could not confirm whether these trips were being used to gather evidence for the further conduct of the Equatorial Guinea trial of the alleged mercenaries.

SABC staff were expected to start setting their equipment up some two-and-a-half hours before the start of Tuesday's application, which is the country's first High Court case to be broadcast on public television.