Treason does not go unpunished
Almost 10 years after eight bomb blasts rocked Soweto, the high treason Boeremag trial is finally at an end.
The plot by 20 right-wingers to overthrow the ANC government, assassinate former president Nelson Mandela and to try drive black, coloured and Indian South Africans out of the country, saw some bizarre twists, but thankfully this is a thing of the past as the accused have been found guilty of high treason.
A year into the trial, after numerous postponements, two accused escaped but were recaptured. In 2011, eight years after the trial began, another five of the accused attempted to evade justice but their planned escape was foiled.
After many debates on whether the accused were entitled to legal aid, Legal Aid SA spent an astonishing R36 million defending the 20 Boermag members over the course of the trial.
The trial also saw one of the accused telling the court about his religious epiphany he had experienced while in prison. He requested to be released on bail so that he could be of service to the South African community. Luckily for South Africans the Judge declined the accused’s request.
Hopefully all the accused will spend a long time behind bars, but the costs involved in getting them there have been immense.
South Africans have waited in anticipation of a verdict, and the hope of closure for some, seemed to never come. But in the end the state had a strong case and after 158 witnesses and a 1 800 page summation of the states’ case, justice will now be served. This will send a strong message to other would-be right-wing activists that South Africa does not tolerate racism.
Well done to everyone involved in this lengthy process. It may not have been easy, but the courts of the land have shown that they are capable and willing to serve South Africa.
