Willem Ratte (born 14 February 1948 in Paarl, Western Cape) is a former member of the elite Rhodesian SAS the Rhodesian Army, and an anti-communist fighter in South Africa.
Ratte was involved in the South African Defense Force's invasion of Angola.
In 2001, Ratte was found guilty of sabotage in the Kathu Regional Court, in relation to a 1997 break in at the Pomfret military base in the Northern Cape. He was sentenced to seven years in prison, three years of which were suspended for five years. Ratte and ten accomplices were charged with terrorism, housebreaking, attempted theft of weapons, trespassing on a military base, and sabotage. They were convicted of only the last charge.[1]
Willem Ratte is from German extraction and grew up between South Africa, South-West Africa and Germany. He was a teacher at the German school in Windhoek. He volunteered to fight for the Rhodesian army and eventually became a decorated (Wings on Chest) soldier of the elite Rhodesian SAS. He spent six years as a soldier in the bush in Rhodesia.
After Zimbabwe's independence, he returned to South Africa and joined as a lieutenant in the elite 32 Battalion, the most decorated unit of the Namibian Angolan Bush War. He also trained the forces of UNITA who were also fighting the government in Angola. When the war was over he resigned in 1991 as Kommandant.
When 32 Battalion was disbanded in 1993, Willem Ratte and his men handed over 30 one rand coins (which had a high silver content) to President F.W. de Klerk in parliament as a symbol of what he described as "Judas treachery to the former soldiers who fought Marxism" in the Namibian Angolan Border.
He also started the Pretoria Boer Commando as well as Radio Pretoria.
When later started Radio Donkerhoek and transmitted from moving vehicles exercising his right to freedom of speech.
In 1995 Ratte and thirty of his men took over one of the four Boer Forts (built by Germans), Fort Schanskop in Pretoria. The government called in General Constand Viljoen to pacify the men. Ratte escaped and later made a speech on Radio Pretoria. A few days later the police found ammunition in a special room in the museum of Fort Schanskop behind some oranges and mealie bags. Ratte was not present when the found was made, neither could the court ever prove that Ratte had anything to do with it. Ratte refused to acknowledge the validity of the court and did not speak in his defence. Judge M.C. De Witt, sentenced him to 20 years, 15 years were suspended.
In 1995 Willem Ratte laid a charge of murder against president Nelson Mandela at the Police headquarters in Pretoria for the Shell House Massacre where ANC members shot at Zulu protestors from the roof top of their headquarters at Shell House (now called Luthuli House).
When Ratte entered prison in 1996 he went on a hunger strike, his wife’s petitions to the Swiss and German governments to help him fell on deaf ears. In his seventh week on hunger strike about 3000 of his supporters and friends marched on the prison with South African, German, Flemish Dutch and Vierkleur flags to demand his immediate release. After 57 days and only after an appeal by his people did he end his hunger strike.
In 2010 Willem Ratte was again arrested and faced charges of illegal possession of dagga, unlicensed firearms and ammunition[2] . He embarked on a hunger strike from 1 October 2010 to 1 November 2010 in jail. He was released on R2000 bail.[3]
He was referred to by Eeben Barlow as being "simply the finest, most professional soldier ever trained by the South African Defense Force."[4]