Boeremag leader was plot 'mastermind'
2012-07-25 21:37
Johannesburg - Boeremag leader Mike du Toit was indeed the author of a blueprint for a violent rightwing coup, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria found on Wednesday.
He discussed the plan in detail with others, Judge Eben Jordaan said as he began summing up evidence against Du Toit, who was described in the evidence as "the man with the plan".
Du Toit, a former university lecturer, was among the first group of the 22 Boeremag high treason accused to be arrested in April 2002.
Jordaan began delivering his lengthy judgment on Monday.
He said it was clear from the evidence that Du Toit had drawn up various versions of the coup plan, known as "Document 12", that was found on his computer.
The court accepted the evidence of several State witnesses, including police informer JC Smit, that Du Toit had discussed Document 12 and its contents at a series of meetings in various parts of the country.
The plan had also been discussed at meetings with the Transvaal Agricultural Union.
Chasing the country's 50 million black citizens out of the country, taking over military bases and major cities and creating chaos in the country prior to taking over the government had featured prominently during these meetings.
According to witnesses, Du Toit had discussed creating chaos by killing former president Nelson Mandela and cutting the power to large parts of the country.
These actions would have served as a "trigger" to set in motion the coup plan.
One witness said Du Toit had assured him the group had people in Eskom ready to cut the power, which would create chaos.
According to Du Toit's plan the chaos would be used to chase black citizens towards the northern border into neighbouring countries, using food as bait.
One witness said Du Toit had discussed making use of Indians and coloureds as allies, but then shooting them once the Boere had taken over the country.
Another witness said Du Toit had discussed having ships ready to take Indians out of the country, but he said coloureds could remain in the Cape.
Some witnesses said Du Toit had openly discussed that anyone - white or black - who resisted their plans, should be shot.
Many State witnesses said it was clear to them that the plans had moved away from protecting whites to an offensive battle plan to take over the government.
At one specific meeting, Du Toit had appointed leaders for various parts of the country and assigned specific tasks to them, such as taking air photos of military bases, recruiting members for the coup plan and gathering information about weapons depots.
Jordaan rejected claims by the accused Mike du Toit, his brother Andre, Rooikoos du Plessis and Dion van den Heever that all of the State witnesses had fabricated their evidence about the meetings at which the coup was planned.
He said it was very clear that Du Toit and others had planned a violent coup and that the State witnesses had no reason to fabricate lies.
Judgment continues.
- SAPA
