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- Harry Johannes Knoesen, 61, and two other people have been charged with allegedly plotting terror attacks against the government and people he described as “dark garbage”.
- Knoesen allegedly called for the troops to join his National Christian Resistance Movement, also known as the Crusaders.
- In its provisional indictment, the State alleges that had it not been detained, these activities could have been perpetrated with an arsenal of weapons.
A former Mpumalanga pastor and soldier, arrested for allegedly conspiring to rid South Africa of “dark garbage”, appeared in Middelburg Regional Court in Mpumalanga on charges of terrorism and high treason for allegedly attempting to plot assassinations of blacks and immigrants. and overthrow the government.
Harry Johannes Knoesen appeared with Eric Abrams and Errol Abrams in court on Friday.
They were detained after he posted videos and allegedly held meetings to carry out his plan under the banner of the National Christian Resistance Movement (NCRM), also known as the Crusaders, which he heads.
Charges were dropped against a fourth defendant, Riana Heymans, who was allegedly “radicalized”.
They will return to court on October 22 when the case proceeds.
Self-proclaimed leader of the National Christian Resistance Movement, Harry Knoesen. (Supplied)
Knoesen reportedly recruited and discussed his plans with members unhappy with the government, moving between WhatsApp, Facebook, and a platform called Telegram and then moving on to in-person meetings.
Police stations were also reportedly in his sights as he obtained maps and documents to devise a strategy to carry out a coup and overthrow the government.
At one point, he told someone who used to be in the security forces to whom he asked for help in obtaining weapons, that everything was ready and ordered radio silence while “they went into hiding.”
He decided to postpone the attack in order to get more members, but investigators moved in and arrested him on November 28, 2019.
However, by then Heymans and two others were “so radicalized” that they decided to carry out an attack on November 29, 2019 at midnight. They were arrested before their planned attack. Components and ingredients for the manufacture of pipe bombs were seized, as well as firearms and ammunition without a license.
When he was arrested, Hawks spokesman Brig. Hangwani Mulaudzi said the alleged intended targets included national hotspots, shopping malls and informal settlements. A new search for property in the Eastern Cape turned up explosives, a firearm and ammunition.
“The defendant unlawfully and intentionally planned or prepared to participate in terrorist activities in South Africa,” the provisional indictment read.
‘Dark garbage’
This would have supposedly included:
- the systematic, repeated or arbitrary use of violence by any means or method;
- endanger the life or violate the physical integrity or physical freedom of, or cause serious bodily injury or death, a person or persons;
- causing destruction or substantial damage to property; and
- create a “serious public emergency or general insurrection in the Republic [of South Africa]”.
The National Prosecutor’s Office alleges that this would have involved the use of firearms, assault rifles, hand grenades, rocket launchers and explosive devices, with attacks directed at individuals and institutions in South Africa, as well as at certain sectors of the emigrant community.
“The South African and African migrant communities were labeled in this sense as ‘these murderers, rapists and torturers and these dark waste of the land’ and it was intended that ‘many thousands’ of them were killed,” the indictment said.
He faces charges of violation of the Law for the Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorism and Related Activities for allegedly preparing and planning to carry out attacks against government institutions and the African population in South Africa and to overthrow the South African government.
Weapons
According to the provisional indictment, on the weekend of November 16 and 17, 2019, he held a meeting at Sterkfontein Dam near Harrismith with select members known as “Top Guardians”, allegedly to plan an attack for Black Friday on November 29. of 2019.
It is alleged that he posted a video clip on November 16, 2019 in which he claimed that the organization was about to “strike and rule this country” and ask members of the public to take up arms and open fire on blacks “to reduce your number. “.
He also assures in a video clip, where he is dressed in a brown uniform, that everything had already begun.
According to the indictment, before the weekend of November 23 and 24, he also contacted a former member of a security force who is not listed in the indictment to obtain weapons and ammunition.
This included AK47 assault rifles, hand grenades, and rocket launchers.
It is also alleged that he acquired an unlicensed Browning pistol and ammunition for six different calibers of weapons, without a license and is also facing charges for this.
‘I wanted more members’
He allegedly postponed the attack to recruit more members based in “the Cape.” The indictment does not indicate whether it is the Western Cape or the Eastern Cape.
“However, the attacks were advanced by police action,” according to the indictment.
“The purpose of the planned terrorist attacks was to overthrow the government of South Africa, attack government institutions and kill African people in order to intimidate, as well as cause or spread feelings of terror, fear or panic in the civilian population of South Africa and in particular, the sectors of the civilian population targeted, “he said.
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The alternative charges are: high treason for alleged holding of the meetings, recruitment and attempts to amass arms with the intention of overthrowing the government. He allegedly said he needed another 4,000 people to help with the mission.
Their activities reportedly focused on Middelburg, Brakpan, Centurion, Roodepoort, Randburg, Nelspruit, Bethlehem, Brits, Ermelo, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Meyerton, Muldersdrift and the Sterkfontein Dam.
He is also charged with allegedly conspiring to commit acts of terrorism with the NCRM, inciting them to commit terrorism through the video clip and recruiting people to do so.
According to the indictment transcript, he said: “The NCRM Crusaders are very close, very close to beating and ruling this country. These murderers, rapists, torturers and the dark garbage of the earth … are going to die by the thousands … Stay by my side … Influence others … Use your firearm, walk out the door and lower the numbers. I take responsibility for everything you do under my banner. “
The State alleges that in a public Facebook post on February 28, 2019, it had illegally requested support for an entity linked to participation in terrorist activities.
