Boeremag member Dr Lets Pretorius told the Pretoria High Court yesterday that he was not a racist and had never been in favour of using violence to achieve change.
Testifying in mitigation of sentence, Pretorius said he had not raised his sons to be racist or to be fanatical extremists.
"We were a happy, loving, God-fearing and close family. I raised my sons as patriotic Afrikaners."
Pretorius, his three sons and 16 other Boeremag members were convicted last year on a charge of high treason after a foiled rightwing coup plot to overthrow the ANC government. His sons, together with Herman van Rooyen and Rudi Gouws, were also found guilty on charges of attempting to murder former president Nelson Mandela with a home-made bomb.
They were also convicted of murdering Soweto mother Claudia Mokone with a bomb placed on a railway line in October 2002.
Pretorius said that as a medical doctor he worked with black patients at a missionary hospital for three years. He ran several rural clinics in the former Lebowa for 16 years, and treated both black and white patients at his private clinic.
"The day before my arrest, I received a command from the Holy Spirit to level the road for the Boer nation in the desert, and to raise a banner for the new nation that would be formed. There was no element of violence anywhere in this command," Pretorius said.
"I've kept myself busy with this since my release on bail. I am sure that if there was even a hint of illegality anywhere my bail would have been cancelled."
The trial continues.
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