Boeremag leader a 'PAC member'

2003-10-20 17:45

Pretoria - An alleged Boeremag leader Adriaan van Wyk told the Pretoria High Court on Monday that he was a card-carrying member of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC).

Van Wyk, 38, denied ever having been a member of any rightwing organisation during his renewed bid to get bail.

He and 21 others are on trial on 42 charges of high treason, murder, terrorism and contravening legislation pertaining to arms, ammunition and explosives. They pleaded not guilty.

He also claimed that his diabetes was not being treated properly in prison.

"I have never been a member of any rightwing political party or movement," he said.

"I am a card-carrying member of the PAC."

He said he wrote a letter to President Thabo Mbeki in the beginning of last year about political prisoners.

"Thami ka Plaatjie (former PAC secretary general) contacted my partner Sarel Kruger and me. We had a discussion and realised that we shared the same view about certain issues such as the high incidence of farm attacks.

"Plaatjie said they wanted to make a contribution in terms of farm owners and workers. He asked if we were prepared to become involved with them. We were invited to attend a PAC conference".

"I indicated that it was my view to co-operate to find solutions.

"They were surprised about our view and they (the PAC) changed their constitution so that we could join them," he said.

Van Wyk denied that he had joined the PAC with ulterior motives. He testified that he had been a member of the Wonderboom Commando, but he resigned in April last year because of personal differences with a fellow commando member.

He admitted that he had attended a commando operational meeting in February last year at which "certain decisions" were made, but was adamant that he had opposed the decisions.

Van Wyk also admitted that he had attended several other meetings, but said it had never been as member of any organisation.

He said it was "totally untrue" that certain targets had been allocated to him as part of a coup plan.

He denied that he had been a member of the so-called inner circle of the Boeremag and said he had only heard of the so-called Document 12 (a document planning the violent overthrow of the government) when a policeman confronted him with portions of the document containing his name.

The main trial is to resume in a week's time, when judgment will be delivered in an application by three of the accused to have their trial stopped, claiming they had been irreparably prejudiced by the seizure of a privileged document, setting out their defence.

The bail application continues.

- SAPA