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Article
/ 16 May 2003

The plot…

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The Boeremag became notorious after a spate of bombings at the end of last year, but, according to the police, the tale of its alleged plot to take over South Africa and establish a Boer Republic begins much earlier.

Police claim that:

  • Between 2000 and 2002 the group developed a plan to take over South Africa, which was spelt out in a paper known as Document 12.

  • Under Document 12, a group of 4 066 people would take over military bases, radio stations, free selected high-profile prisoners such as Vlakplaas cop Eugene de Kock, destroy the state’s computer network, chase all blacks out of the country or to specially demarcated areas, and ”take out” the Cabinet and Parliament.

  • These goals were to be undertaken in a programme called Operation Popeye. Members were recruited and food, medical supplies, weapons and explosives were collected and stored. In addition, Boeremag cadres were instructed to identify and explore possible targets.

  • The planned coup was to commence with the bombing of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, but this was foiled when police arrested a group of alleged plotters last August and set up tight security around the summit’s sites.

  • Material was stored on a farm near Bela Bela (Warmbaths), but after the arrests in August the group began to disperse this. In early September vehicles packed with equipment were sent from the province. Police say that this dispersal of material included the truck that led to the arrest of Limpopo doctor Lets Pretorius. The vehicles were abandoned.

    Coup plans apparently disintegrated after more members were arrested in September last year and it became clear how thoroughly the police had infiltrated the group.

    According to the police, a small core of Boeremag members then regrouped and were responsible for the subsequent explosions in Soweto, Bronkhorstspruit, Grand Central Airport and a bridge near the Wild Coast Sun. The campaign ended early in December when members of the group were allegedly caught red-handed with a car bomb destined for Pretoria’s Marabastad.

    At a bail hearing last August, police Superintendent Louis Pretorius lifted the veil on the group’s alleged programme. He said the avowedly racist Boeremag had no inhibitions about involved members of other races in their coup.

    ”The [Boeremag] executive committee had meetings with coloured [allies]. They said they would give them the Western Cape.”

    He testified that these collaborators were supposed to help take over air force bases. Pretorius also said that black South Africans would be provoked to ”start a rebellion and create chaos in the country”.

    The charge sheet includes an attempt to assassinate Nelson Mandela while he was visiting a school in Limpopo. The plan was foiled when Mandela travelled by helicopter to the school.