Boeremag members had prayed and assured each other they were doing the right thing before planting bombs in Soweto in October 2002, the treason trial in the Pretoria High Court heard on Thursday.
Self-confessed coup plotter Deon Crous told the court he and five of the Boeremag accused — Herman van Rooyen, Rudi Gouws and the Pretorius brothers Johan, Kobus and Wilhelm — had planned and planted 10 bombs at a bridge, railway lines, a mosque and a taxi rank in the Soweto area.
The possibility that people could die had been discussed, but it was felt they were ”at war” and that loss of lives was to be expected. Kobus Pretorius, however, said he was against killing white people.
After naming the Soweto bombs after their wives and girlfriends, the group had also prayed, prepared themselves mentally and encouraged each other before leaving on their bombing mission in separate vehicles. Most of them wore disguises.
Crous described in detail how he and Kobus Pretorius had planted bombs at a railway bridge and railway lines before joining up with the others, who had planted bombs at other targets.
The home-made bombs were placed in ammunition boxes and sports bags and were linked to timing mechanisms, set to go off at midnight.
Crous said they rejoiced after hearing radio reports about the explosions while on their way to KwaZulu-Natal.
”According to the news, the bombs had exploded one after the other and a black woman was killed in a shack after being hit by a piece of railway line.
”Van Rooyen and Gouws said the shack was very far from the railway line where their bomb exploded and Kobus Pretorius said it had been ‘the blind sjambok’ [meaning that the victim’s sins had caught up with her].
”There was laughter and everyone seemed to be glad because the operation had been a success,” he said.
Crous testified that the group had continued making explosives and planning further bombings while hiding out on the farms and at the houses of supporters. They also talked about making shrapnel mines, destined for shopping centres and streets. By then, their photos had been published in the press and the police were hot on their trail.
Crous said Van Rooyen had told him he and Wilhelm Pretorius had planted a bomb that exploded at Grand Central airport in November 2002 and also talked about blowing up a bridge in Port Edward.
Crous said he, Van Rooyen and Van Rooyen’s brother Alan had discussed shooting the prosecuting team at a holiday resort near Bela-Bela, where the state was consulting witnesses, but the plan was never carried out.
The trial continues. — Sapa
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