The Boeremag on Trial
By Karin Mitchell
On the night of 30 October 2002, eight bomb blasts tore through Soweto. The explosions left one woman dead and damaged vital infrastructure.
A far-right white Afrikaner separatist group called the Boeremag carried out the attacks. Their stated aim was to overthrow the ruling African National Congress (ANC) government, rid the country of black people and reinstate a new Boer-administered republic.
For months before the bombings, police investigated the terror group and made several arrests. Then, in December, after an intense cross-country manhunt, authorities finally caught the perpetrators. In total, police arrested 23 men and charged them with high treason. They also seized explosives, homemade pipe bombs, weapons and ammunition hidden in arms caches scattered across the country.
A glimpse into the treason trial
The trial began in May 2003 under tight security at the Palace of Justice in Pretoria. Over the next decade, the case became the longest and most expensive trial in the country’s history. During this time, the public learned about a group driven by nationalism, racism, militancy and fear.
Testimony revealed how a fanatical belief in the visions of a 19th-century Boer prophet named Siener van Rensburg inspired the group. This belief culminated in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to assassinate former president Nelson Mandela and initiate a coup.
The High Treason Club tells the story of the Boeremag, the investigation that brought them down, and the subsequent trial. It was the first of its kind in democratic South Africa.
Based on exclusive interviews, as well as thousands of pages of court transcripts and documentary evidence, this book elegantly unpacks a complex case. It offers unprecedented insight into the various role-players and their motivations.
About the author
Karin Mitchell began her journalism career in various respected national radio and television newsrooms. The Boeremag trial was her first major assignment. Since then, she has covered the Marikana Massacre, the Oscar Pistorius trial and other significant political events.
Driven to tell untold stories, Karin left journalism in 2016 to pursue a full-time writing career. She has dedicated more than a decade of her life to telling the full story of the Boeremag.
- PUBLISHER | Penguin Random House SA |
- ISBN | 9781776392162 |
- Recommended Retail Price | R340.00 |
- Classification | History |
