Cape Town – Harry Johannes Knoesen, 64, leader of the right-wing organisation, the National Christian Resistance Movement, popularly known as the “Crusaders”, has been sentenced to two life terms and 21 years imprisonment by the Mpumalanga High Court for terrorism-related offences.
Police said in a statement that the Middelburg High Court sentenced Knoesen, on Tuesday, to life imprisonment for contravening the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorism and Related Matters Act (POCDATARA), life imprisonment for incitement to carry out terrorist attacks in South Africa, 15 years for recruiting people to carry out terrorist attacks and three years imprisonment for each count of unlawful possession of firearms as well as unlawful possession of ammunition.
Knoesen was found guilty on June, 06 after several court appearances.
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He was arrested in November 2019 after an intensive investigation by the team of Hawks’ Crimes Against The State into his terrorist plot.
According to police spokesperson, Brigadier Thandi Mbambo, Knoesen was planning a coup.
“The accused prepared and planned to carry out terrorist attacks on government by overthrowing the democratically elected government, targeting the national key points, attacking the military and police installations as well as informal settlements occupied by African people,” she said.
He attempted to appeal the sentence but his leave to appeal was denied.
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Compiled by Junaid Benjamin
