TRC Final Report

Volume 5

Chapter 6

Subsection 17

Right-wing opposition groups

123 In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a number of Afrikaner right-wing groups became active in the political arena. They operated in a loose coalition intent on securing the political interests of conservative Afrikaners through a range of activities seemingly intent on disrupting the negotiations process then underway. Operating both within and outside of the negotiations process, members of these groups undertook actions which constituted gross violations of human rights.

124 In regard to these groups, the Commission makes the following findings:

THE COMMISSION FINDS THAT THE AFRIKANER VOLKSFRONT AND STRUCTURES OPERATING UNDER ITS BROAD UMBRELLA WERE RESPONSIBLE, BETWEEN APRIL 1993 AND MAY 1994, FOR GROSS VIOLATIONS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF PERSONS PERCEIVED TO BE SUPPORTERS AND LEADERS OF THE ANC, SACP, UDF, PAC, NATIONAL PARTY AND OTHER GROUPS PERCEIVED NOT TO SUPPORT THE CONCEPT OF AFRIKANER SELF-DETERMINATION OR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A VOLKSTAAT. TO THAT END, THE MOVEMENT’S POLITICAL LEADERS AND MILITARY GENERALS ADVOCATED THE USE OF VIOLENCE IN PURSUIT OF THE MOVEMENT’S AIMS AND/OR IN AN ATTEMPT TO MOBILISE FOR AN INSURRECTION.

THE COMMISSION BASED THIS FINDING ON:

SPEECHES AND ORDERS BY THE MOVEMENT’S SENIOR LEADERS WHICH HAD THE EFFECT OF INCITING ITS SUPPORTERS TO COMMIT ACTS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST INDIVIDUALS AND INSTITUTIONS PERCEIVED TO BE THE ENEMY OF THE AFRIKANER;

THE ARMING OF SUPPORTERS WITH WEAPONS IN CONTRAVENTION OF THE LAW;

RANDOM ATTACKS BY MEMBERS ON BLACK PERSONS;

CLANDESTINE COLLUSION WITH MEMBERS OF THE SECURITY FORCES AND/OR THE IFP EITHER TO COMMIT THE VIOLATIONS CITED ABOVE OR TO TRAIN PARAMILITARY FORCES TO COMMIT ACTS WHICH RESULTED IN DEATH OR INJURY;

THE TRAINING OF SUPPORTERS TO UNDERTAKE VIOLENT ACTIONS DESIGNED TO PREVENT

ELECTIONS FROM BEING HELD IN 1994;

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A VOLKSLEËR AND OTHER PARAMILITARY GROUPINGS TO THREATEN INSURRECTION AND REVOLUTION WITH A VIEW TO DERAILING THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.

BY VIRTUE OF THEIR LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN THE MOVEMENT, THE COMMISSION FINDS THE FOLLOWING TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE GROSS VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS COMMITTED BY SUPPORTERS OF THE MOVEMENT: GENERAL CONSTAND VILJOEN, GENERAL PIETER GROENEWALD AND MR EUGENE TERREBLANCHE.

125 Broadly similar findings are made against three other groupings, namely, the Orde van die Boerevolk, the Boere Weerstandbeweging and the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB).