Boeremag

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A filling station in Soweto said to have been bombed by the so-called "Boeremag." As of December 2005 it remains closed and unrepaired. Although the so-called "Boeremag"-trial has been dragged out for nearly half a decade now, the state has not yet been able to prove the existence of the the so-called "Boeremag" or the guilt of any of the accused

The Boeremag (Afrikaans: Boer Force) is alleged South African to be a radical right-wing activism group with white separatist aims and is accused of planning to overthrow the ruling African National Congress government. "^[1] reminiscent of the era when Boers administered independent republics during the 19th century following the Great Trek.

1 Background
2 See also
3 References
4 Further reading
5 External links

[edit] Background

Some Boeremag sympathizers claim that the African National Congress has seized power in South Africa illegally and that organised gangs are secretly trained by the ANC and rewarded via a bounty system for killing white farmers.

Opponents of the Boeremag claim the Boeremag it is an atavistic terrorist organization. South African law enforcement officials charge that the Boeremag was responsible for the 2002 Soweto bombings and arrested 26 men, alleged to be members of the Boeremag in November and December of 2002, and claimed that they had seized over 1,000 kg of explosives in the process. Further arrests followed in March 2003.

The first trial of Boeremag suspects began under tight security in Pretoria during May of 2003. Twenty-two men were charged with 42 counts of treason, murder, and illegal weapons possession. Six pleaded not guilty; 2 have not entered pleas; one refuses to plead; and 13 are challenging the court's jurisdiction, alleging that the post-apartheid constitution and government of South Africa are illegitimate.

In early May 2006, two of the leading members being tried were reported to have escaped, due to police incompetence.^[2] This is not the only possible conclusion, however, as the court was lined daily by heavily armed policemen equipped with state-of-the-art communication equipment, and nobody could leave or enter the courtroom without a thorough body search. A more logical conclusion seems to be abduction by police officers, some of whom have been recorded in the trial records in the specific case to have allegedly abducted and tortured "Boeremag"-accused members on previous occasions, (sworn affidavit by Johan Pretorius, and other documents) and whom also are on record in this trial as allegedly having visited witnesses and interfered with evidence. (See court records of the "Boeremag"-trial.) To date, these two escaped/abducted men have not been found, neither have any police officers been apprehended.