Trump makes his world collapse, plus five highlights from 'Vrye Weekblad'

The right wing protest in Washington DC was ignited by lies and conspiracy theories and a narcissistic psychopath who can't deal with the fact that he lost the election. President Donald Trump's reckless leadership of the past four years led to a tragic low point in American history, just two weeks before he was supposed to do a peaceful handover to president-elect Joe Biden.

On March 11 1994 the AWB went to Bophuthatswana for an armed coup attempt to keep Lucas Mangope in power. A Beeld reporter on the scene asked three of them why they were there. “We are not here because we want to be here. We are here because the top structure said we have to be here. The leaders said we have to be here. It's Eugène Terre’Blanche (then AWB leader).”

Minutes later all three were shot dead by a member of the Bophuthatswana army. He went to the TRC later to ask for amnesty. Terre’Blanche got off scot-free.

The chaos at the US Capitol on Wednesday echoed the AWB fighters' last words: it showed again how easily people can be misled by irresponsible leaders and pay the highest price for their misplaced loyalty.

Read more about the trouble in the US and more news and analysis from SA in this week's issue of Vrye Weekblad, our last edition of 2020.

Trump was on stage on Wednesday morning for a Republican mass protest meeting in front of the White House, where he egged tens of thousands of his supporters on to fearlessly march on the Capitol.

Not only did thousands of rioters break into the Congress building, the House and Senate, but they managed to derail the constitutionally mandated, democratic process of peaceful presidential handover for a couple of hours.

The VP and more than 500 members of congress had to be evacuated through tunnels to secret rooms to escape the mob.

It was a failed coup attempt by Trump after the approval of the election results by all states, more than 60 unsuccessful court applications to have the election declared invalid and after representatives of all 50 states declared Joe Biden as president and Kamala Harris as vice-president.

Trump broke his oath to protect and defend the constitution and will have to be censured. But due to the timing, this might never happen.

Must-read articles in this week's Vrye Weekblad

>> Browse the full January 8 edition

FREE TO READ — MY PEOPLE UNDER THE TREE | Viv Vermaak writes about her favourite AA group, who meet under a tree in Boksburg ever Saturday morning and where she heard everything is going to be OK.

FIRST IN LINE TO DIE | Poets Ronelda S. Kamfer and Nathan Trantraal have created a series of portraits of people who are on the front lines of the fight against Covid-19.  

LOOKING FOR A DA THAT ISN'T THE DA | Max du Preez writes about his wish for a party he could unreservedly vote for, the terrorists at the Capitol and our Mini-Me Trump, Julius Malema.

LOCKDOWN IS TEARING US APART | Seemingly informed people often have very different opinions about the merits of the lockdown. Willem Kempen searches for the middle ground.

LAST CHANCE TO USE OUR FESTIVE OFFER | Get a fabulous discount if you subscribe to Vrye Weekblad now.