 Coetzee exposed the existence of the Vlakplaas unit in a 1989 interview with "Vrye Weekblad", confirming a story that death-row convict Butana Almond Nofomela had told a Johannesburg weekly the previous year.After exposing the existence of the unit, he went on the run, staying in 38 houses in four countries – including a short while in London.While there, he joined the African National Congress (ANC) and expressed his support for Nelson Mandela.