The Boeremag treason trial resumed on Monday on a lighter note after a delay of more than two months when one of the accused asked for his discharge because of an administrative bungle about his identity.
Tom Vorster told the court he was not himself, and his new identity book — which identified him as one of his fellow accused, Gerhardus Visagie — proved it.
There was laughter in court when Vorster said the Department of Home Affairs did not make mistakes, so he must be Visagie and was therefore entitled to his discharge.
There was even more laughter when Judge Eben Jordaan asked the real Vorster to stand up and Visagie promptly came to his feet.
The accused complained that they would not be able to vote in the coming general election because it would be too late to register as voters.
Jordaan recommended that the two should ask the Department of Home Affairs to rectify the situation.
The cross-examination of a state witness, police spy Johannes Conrad Smit, resumed on Monday after the trial was previously delayed for a considerable period so that the defence could study about 800 pages of Smit’s secret police informer file.
The documents were handed to defence counsel after senior counsel for the police studied the file and concluded that the defence was entitled to certain documents.
The police initially opposed any access to the file, compiled on the strength of information supplied by Smit, who claimed to have infiltrated the Boeremag’s inner circle while secretly reporting to a police handler.
The defence launched an application for access to the file when it appeared that Smit’s statement and evidence had been compiled out of reports written by Smit’s police handler.
The 22 accused, who are alleged to have plotted the violent overthrow of the government, have denied guilt on 42 charges ranging from treason to terrorism, sabotage, murder, attempted murder, causing a series of explosions and the illegal possession of firearms, explosives and ammunition.
The hearing continues. — Sapa