Justin Pearce
Etienne le Roux used to install carpets in Heidelberg. Nicolaas Barnard, Abraham Myburgh and Jan de Wet farmed in the North West province. These four men, who escaped from Diepkloof Prison last weekend, are among those who could have the most to lose when the Witwatersrand Supreme Court delivers judgment on March 29.
Of the 26 men who originally faced charges in connection with the six bombings before the 1994 elections, 18 are still facing charges, but the four men who escaped from Diepkloof Prison last weekend face the most serious indictment: each of them faces 20 counts of murder and 47 charges of attempted murder, as well as numerous charges relating to the possession and use of firearms and explosives. In total, Barnard faces 96 charges, and the others 95 each.
The crimes of which the men are accused resulted in the death of 20 people in blasts in central Johannesburg, Germiston and Pretoria, while non-fatal blasts occurred in Randfontein, Westonaria and at Jan Smuts airport.
Following a Constitutional Court ruling on the consitutionality of certain sections of the Arms and Ammunition Act, many of the charges against the original 26 were dropped, but the charges against the four remain much as they were when the matter was first investigated. Three of the other trialists are also facing murder charges.
The accused were arrested in the months following the elections. They were initially refused bail, but a lengthy series of appeals and reviews saw them released in August 1994 on bail conditions that amounted to house arrest. They were not allowed to leave home other than for work, church or medical treatment, and had to report to the police twice a day. The four broke their bail conditions to travel to Ulundi, ostensibly to rally support from the Inkatha Freedom Party. They were arrested while travelling, imprisoned and forfeited bail totalling R50 000.