Shop terrors sentenced to 8 years
The two terrorists, Eric Donald Abrahams, 55, and Errol Abrahams, 50, were members of the Crusaders right-wing organisation. They were found guilty, while Harry Knoesen, touted as the leader of the group, will go on trial in February on similar charges.pic on file
Two members of a right-wing group have been sentenced to eight years behind bars in the Middelburg Regional Court after they planned to stage terror attacks at shopping malls during the Black Friday frenzy in November last year.
Brothers Eric Donald Abrahams, 55, and Errol Abrahams, 50, were members of the Crusaders right-wing organisation.
The Hawks said members of the Crimes Against the State section arrested them in Klipriver, Gauteng, on 28 and 29 November.
They were found guilty on charges of contravening the Contravention of Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorism and Related Matters Act by planning to launch terrorist attacks on government buildings and black people.
Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said they conspired to “overthrow the democratically elected government of South Africa and replace it with a government led by the organisation”.
“This objective would be achieved by carrying out attacks on military and police installations as well as on informal settlements occupied by African persons.”
The brothers were sentenced to 15 years in jail, of which seven years were suspended for five years.
They were also sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for various other crimes, including financing the plot and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, ammunition and more than 200 cartridges.
The sentences will run concurrently, meaning they will serve an effective eight years in prison.
Meanwhile, Mogale said the case against Harry Knoesen, who was named as the leader of the group, starts in February.
STAGING ATTACKS: Eric and Errol Abrahams