'Crusaders' terrorist group leader found guilty of high treason

The high court in Middelburg on Monday convicted Harry Johannes Knoesen, the self-professed leader of a terrorist group known as the National Christian Resistance Movement, also known as the “Crusaders”, on five counts including high treason.

Knoesen was charged with Eric and Erroll Abrams for planning to engage in terrorist activities.

The Abrams brothers pleaded guilty and were sentenced.

Knoesen, who also faced charges of incitement to carry out terrorist attacks, soliciting support and/or recruiting people to carry out terrorist attacks , and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, pleaded not guilty.

The case was postponed to Friday for sentencing proceedings.

The unemployed 64-year-old, who lived with his fiancée in Middelburg, “had developed a deep-rooted hatred for the nonracial democratic dispensation”, according to the state.

In the indictment, the state said the terrorist activity would have involved the systematic, repeated or arbitrary use of violence by any means or method.

“The terrorist activities would have been perpetrated by using firearms, assault rifles, hand grenades, rocket launchers and explosive devices. The attacks would have been directed against people and institutions  of the SA government as well as African SA citizens and certain sectors of the émigré community,” the indictment read.

Knoesen also identified informal settlements as targets for attack.

He sought to justify his beliefs on religious grounds, claiming that God had ordained that he should reclaim SA for white people.

To solicit support for the organisation and recruit members to achieve his objectives, Knoesen created a Facebook account.

He appealed to people with previous military experience to join and carry out attacks.

Numerous other propaganda posts were made for the same purpose. He also created documents setting out his attack plans which were intended to be sent to members of the organisation.

This recruitment drive led to several like-minded fanatics joining the organisation.

As the membership of the organisation grew he began holding meetings around the country, where he unveiled plans to overthrow the government and kill Africans.

At a stage unknown to the state, Knoesen acquired weapons and ammunition to carry out his attacks. 

Over the weekend of November 16 and 17 2019, he and a small group of members met at the Sterkfontein Dam near Harrismith in the Free State.

The meeting was to plan attacks in parts of the country where the members of cells operated.

During this meeting Knoesen called for indiscriminate shooting at African people in the streets.

The police had, however, become aware of his activities and on November 28 2019 he was arrested at his residence in Middelburg.

Documentation relevant to the planning of the attacks and information relating to members of the organisation and their cells were also found.

 TimesLIVE

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.