'Racist until the end'

Eleven years after the first Boeremag member was arrested for high treason, only one of the 23 men has changed his beliefs.

The 23 were found guilty of plotting to overthrow the new democratic government by violence, including assassinating former president Nelson Mandela.

Handing down sentence in the Pretoria High Court yesterday, Judge Eben Jordaan said that, when one of their number, Kobus Pretorius - brother of co-accused Johan and Wilhelm - turned against the group he was ostracised not only by the group but by his family.

"He first broke with his parents because of their religion and ideology, and then he broke with the Boeremag, so he was completely alone, on his own," said Sonia Jordaan, who has been his spiritual counsellor for the past four years.

Kobus must serve nine years in jail. He was sentenced to 30 years, of which 10 years were suspended, minus the time he has served while awaiting trial.

Advocate Paul Kruger, acting for Pieter van Deventer, Fritz Naudé and Koos Visagie, said all the accused still believed in their cause, with the sole exception of Kobus Pretorius.

"You have to realise that people who take this type of action are people with extremely strong views and it is extremely rare that a person who has such strong feelings about a cause will make a 180-degree turnaround in his life and start to think or believe something else."

The men planned to kill Mandela while he was en route to open a school in Limpopo by planting a bomb at the side of the road.

The group hoped that, by killing Mandela they would trigger a race war in which the whites would ultimately triumph.

"If Mr Mandela didn't travel by helicopter but in a car this country would have been thrown into chaos," said Judge Jordaan.

Wilhelm Pretorius wrote of his desire for the death of Mandela : "K****r, hier kom ons (K****r, here we come)."

Said Judge Jordaan: "When [accused Herman van Rooyen] speaks of black people, he doesn't hesitate to refer to them as the enemy, or as k****rs, that have to be destroyed or driven out of the country."

Jordaan sentenced Tom Vorster, Van Rooyen, Johan Pretorius, Wilhelm Pretorius and Rudi Gouws to 35 years in prison for high treason.

They will be credited with 10 years for time served awaiting trial.

Van Rooyen and Gouws were also sentenced to five years each for culpable homicide and five for conspiring to commit murder.

The rest of the group received sentences that ranged from 10 years, all of which was suspended, to 30 years, of which 10 years were suspended.

Boeremag Trial Timeline

30 October 2002 - Eight bombs explode in Soweto just after midnight. A mother, Claurina Mokone, is killed when a piece of metal from the nearby railway line lands on her shack.

2002 - Group manufactures bombs with the aim of placing them in hired cars from Avis and detonating them at several places, including Pretoria and Marabastad. The bombs were to be detonated on December 13.

November and December 2002 - Arrest of 26 men alleged to be Boeremag members. About 1000kg of explosives found.

May 2003 - First trial of 22 members starts at Pretoria High Court. Thirteen of the men challenge the court's jurisdiction, claiming the government is illegitimate.

Yesterday - 23 members of the Boeremag are sentenced for high treason