Right-Wing Groups - South African Government Information

i n f r a s t r u c t u re and gain publicity for the right wing’s anti-election cause. A number
of people were injure d .
280. In October 1993, Andries Stefanus Kriel, a brigadier in the AWB and deputy
leader of the Vo l k s f ront in the Northern Free State, instructed AWB Colonel Jan
C o rnelius Labuschagne to form a cell of operatives in order to participate in a
t e r ror campaign to be conducted by the Vo l k s f ro n t .
281. Labuschagne formed a cell consisting of himself, Johannes Jacobus Roos
Botes and Daniel Wilhelm van der Watt, both members of the AWB and the
Vo l k s f ront. They underwent a short period of training in the manufacture,
handling and use of explosives in the Bothaville are a .
282. The bombing campaign commenced on 9 November 1993 and lasted until
7 February 1994. During that period they placed twenty-one bombs at diff e re n t
t a rgets, including Welkom, We s s e l b ron, Potchefstroom, Orkney, Vi l j o e n s k ro o n ,
Hoopstad, Bothaville, Stilfontein, Kroonstad, Leeudoringstad and Vi e r f o n t e i n .
Nineteen of these exploded. The other two (at Welkom and at Leeudoringstad)
did not detonate. All the bombs were homemade. Eleven of the targets were
railway lines, three were power installations, four were black residential are a s ,
two were business premises and one was a farm school.
283. Nobody was killed in the bombings. However, a number of people were injured,
including Mrs M Bayo, Mr Seipata Mokadatlo (both at We s s e l s b ron), Mr
Stephen Semelo, Mr Andries Semelo, Mrs Ramorakane and Ms Marg a re t
Malinga (all at Vi l j o e n s k roon). The bombings caused damage to both private
and state pro p e r t y.
284. Labuschagne told the Committee it was not their intention to kill or injure
people, although they realised that people might be killed or injured by their
actions. He said they took steps to minimise the prospect of this by setting the
bombs to explode late at night.
285. All the applicants were facing charges relating to their training, all the bombings
as well at the illegal possession of firearms and explosives. Their trial had been
postponed pending the outcome of their applications.
286. Labuschagne accepted equal responsibility with the other applicants for all the
incidents on the basis that he was their leader and had given them the instruc-
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