'Boeremag had army-base maps'
2003-10-30 12:26
Pretoria - Rightwingers planning a coup in South Africa were provided in 2001 with maps, aerial photographs and weapons and ammunition stock lists of the Lohatlha defence force base in the Northern Cape, the Pretoria High Court heard on Thursday.
Police informer Johannes Coenraad Smit told the court he received these documents from two of the accused in the Boeremag treason trial during a meeting in August that year.
One of them, Jacques Olivier, was then a major attached to the Lohatlha base and responsible for stocktaking, Smit testified. The other was Dion van den Heever, a self-employed electrician.
Another Boeremag accused, Jacobus "Rooikoos" du Plessis, was also present at the meeting.
They all apparently believed Smit to be one of them.
Smit testified in detail about a map of the base and several aerial photographs on which a number of targets were marked.
He also gave evidence about a stock sheet he said he received from Olivier and Van den Heever, on which was listed all the weapons and ammunition stored at the base.
Smit told the court that Colonel Giel Burger, then the base's second in command, was approached about the coup plan and showed interest.
Would be asked to draw up take-over plan
It was decided at the August meeting, he said, that Burger would be asked for help in planning the coup.
Among other things, he would be asked to ensure there was enough diesel at the base, and that all the army vehicles were battle-ready.
"He would be approached to draw up a strategic plan for taking over the base," Smit testified.
Burger is now accused No 7 in the Boeremag trial.
During the August 2001 meeting, it emerged the Lohatlha base was at its most vulnerable on pay day, the 15th of every month. At that time, the base was protected by only 30 men, said Smit.
He was testifying in the trial of 22 men with whom he plotted the alleged coup, all the time being an undercover police agent.
The men face 42 charges ranging from murder and attempted murder to treason, terrorism, and the illegal possession of arms, ammunition and explosives.
The trial was delayed until 14:00 for lawyers of some of the trialists to lodge an urgent High Court application to compel prison authorities to respect their clients' human rights.
Some of the men have been complaining about prison conditions.
- SAPA