Boeremag wooed TAU, court told

2003-10-31 12:03

Pretoria - The Transvaal Agricultural Union (TAU) was implicated in the Pretoria High Court on Friday in a plot by the rightwing Boeremag to overthrow the government.

Police informer Johannes Coenraad Smit testified that TAU representatives and alleged coup-plot leaders discussed the takeover at a meeting in Centurion in August 2001.

After the meeting was opened with a prayer, those gathered discussed the so-called Document 12 - a blueprint for the group's planned coup d'etat.

"There was great concern among the TAU delegation as to how 50 million black people would be made to leave the country."

Mike du Toit - one of the 22 alleged Boeremag members standing trial on 42 charges, including treason, murder and terrorism - had told them not to worry as it was not difficult for black people to move across the continent, Smit told the court.

Du Toit had told the meeting blacks had few possessions and were used to making do with the basics, he said.

Zimbabwe land grabs fostered concern

Union representatives gave undertakings to help create a climate conducive for the recruitment of supporters for the coup, the court heard.

All those present at the meeting were members of the Conservative Party, the Herstigte Nasionale Party and the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging.

The court was told the violent land grabs in Zimbabwe made it easier for the Boeremag to gain supporters in South Africa.

Smit said white South Africans were afraid they would suffer the same fate as their northern neighbours.

He also testified that a "Boerehof" (Boer court) would have been set up to try "volksverraaiers" and "volksmoordenaars" (traitors and murderers of the nation).

At the top of the list were former state president FW de Klerk and former defence force chief-turned-politician Constand Viljoen.

Smit said the group believed De Klerk had betrayed Afrikaners openly from a podium while Viljoen did it in an underhand way.

- SAPA