Piet ‘Skiet’ held after bloody fight

Piet Rudolph at the Pretoria High Court on May 12, 2005. This picture was taken a week after he was allegedly assaulted at the High Court by one of the Boeremag investigating officers. Photo: Liza van Deventer

Piet Rudolph at the Pretoria High Court on May 12, 2005. This picture was taken a week after he was allegedly assaulted at the High Court by one of the Boeremag investigating officers. Photo: Liza van Deventer

Published Feb 19, 2011

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Rightwing nationalist Piet “Skiet” Rudolph and one of his followers have been arrested after a bloody fist fight at a meeting at the Paardekraal monument in Krugersdorp.

Beeld newspaper reported on Saturday that Rudolph, 63, was arrested with Willem Boshoff, 54, on charges of assault and pointing a firearm after attacking a member of “Volksraadsverkiesingskommissie”, which was due to elect a committee to start negotiations with the government on a Boer homeland.

A Krugersdorp resident who was at the meeting, said “an old man” believed to be Rudolph was seated at the back of the meeting and was shouting remarks during the proceedings.

The man and another man - believed to be Boshoff - then sat down at the front of the meeting and began asking Kruger “attacking questions”.

According to Pro-Afrikaans Action Group (Praag) website, Rudolph accused Kruger of “doing a new thing” and said that the restoration of the Boer Republic “is the only possible political solution for the country”.

The Krugersdorp resident said the two men shoved the chest of Dan Roodt of Praag - one of the nominees for the committee.

“I want to speak to you a little after the meeting,” one of the men said.

Boshoff allegedly hit Kruger “full on the face” with his fist.

A struggle ensued, in which the speakers at the meetings and others separated the “grey-haired man” from Kruger.

The meeting ended and the police were called, the Krugersdorp resident told Beeld.

Rudolph and Boshoff were subsequently arrested for possessing small-caliber firearm, believed to be a Brownie, which had allegedly pointed at one of the leaders of the committee.

Roodt could not say at what point a gun was pointed at anyone.

“I feel that Rudolph should be banned from attending any public meeting because he does not make any constructive contribution,” Roodt said.

Kruger, according to the Krugersdorp resident said he would not let the incident put him off the goal of creating a Boer republic.

Rudolph and Boshoff spent the night in Krugersdorp police cells.

They appeared briefly in court on Friday morning.

Rudolph was given bail of R1 500 and Boshoff released on his own responsibility.

The case was postponed for seven days for further investigation.

Rudolph is described by the “Volkstaat” website as “an impetuous man, brave and generous, who has dedicated his life to the Boer nation”.

“Although he has been committed in various political organisations, he has always been a genuine and disinterested fighter, motivated by love for his people,” the website says.

Rudolph, born in the village of Vischkuil in the district of Springs in June 1937, was city councillor in Pretoria for the Herstigte Nasionale Party and was a member of Conservative Party.

Later he was a prominent member of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging and the deputy leader of Boerestaat Party.

On April 15, 1990, following the unbanning of the ANC and the South African Communist Party, Rudolph led a group of men who stole a large quantity of weapons to the South African Airforce Head Office’s armoury.

In June 1990 Rudolph released a video in which he declared war on the government of South Africa, the ANC and SACP.

It “was no longer time to talk” and that it “is better to die in glory than live in disgrace”, Rudolph said at the time.

“All we need is about 500 Boers who are prepared to give their lives on the altar of our ideal to ensure success,” he said.

Rudolph was arrested in Pretoria on September 17, 1990.

Earlier in February Rudolph was awarded R110 000 in damages from the police following an altercation with officers at the Boeremag trial in the Pretoria High Court.

According to Pretoria News Rudolph initially claimed more than R500,000 in damages from the Minister of Safety and Security, but the matter was settled with the police agreeing to pay him R110 000.

It was said that Rudolph called the police “traitors and sellouts of the Boere people” because he did not want his wife searched before she entered the court.

The elderly Rudolph then told the policeman, who was 1.82m and weighed 130kg, “Mannetjie, ek donner jou (I’ll smack you)”, before grabbing one of them by the tie. - Sapa

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