[imagesource: Supplied to News24]

Harry Johannes Knoesen, the leader of the right-wing extremist group National Christian Resistance Movement (commonly referred to as the Crusaders or NCRM), will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Yesterday, at the Mpumalanga High Court sitting in Middelburg, he was sentenced to two life sentences as well as an additional 21 years imprisonment for terrorism-related charges.

The 63-year-old was about to launch into a days-long plan to kill black people and attempt to overthrow the country’s democratic government when he was arrested.

The Daily Maverick reports:

His plot to overthrow the government was set to take place on 28 November 2019. On the day of his planned insurrection, his followers, armed with AK-47 assault rifles, hand grenades and RPG7 rocket launchers, would have caused mayhem in the country.

Knoesen did not know that intelligence had got wind of his plot. On the day all hell was supposed to break out, police pounced on him…

Image: Middelburg Observer

Evidence heard during the trial showed that extreme perceptions of farm killings, threats from Black First Land First (BLF) to take “their” land, the perception that the white race was under serious threat because of Julius Malema’s renditions of the Struggle song, Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer, were driving forces behind Knoesen’s plot to overthrow the government.

He also justified his beliefs by claiming that God had ordained that South Africa should be reclaimed for white people, and he should lead the charge.

Knoesen ran the organisation and appointed himself commander-in-chief, as well as giving himself the rank of general.

In various messages sent in the days and weeks before the planned attack, Knoesen encouraged NCRM members to indiscriminately gun down black people, who he referred to as “dark rubbish of the earth”.

According to The Citizen, he also considered using a biological weapon to infect and kill black people:

During police investigations, digital devices were seized including weapons and ammunition. The led evidence of various witnesses including the evidence of his social media administrator, who arranged the plenary meetings.

Image: Supplied by NPA

This includes the evidence of audio clips and videos he made on social media, as well as the testimony of a digital forensic investigator. The court found him guilty on all counts and was sentenced accordingly.

During yesterday’s proceedings, Knoesen’s application for leave to appeal against his sentence and conviction was also dismissed.

I get the feeling he might not be all that popular behind bars, wherever he ends up.

[sources:dailymav&citizen]