JOHANNESBURG -  Pretorius joined 19 co-accused, including his father and two brothers, when Judge Eben Jordaan convicted him of treason.

The herb farmer from Mokopane had manufactured explosives and time switches and helped to assemble and plant bombs as part of the Boeremag’s plan to create chaos in the country.

Judge Jordaan found that Pretorius had committed violent crimes while taking part in a right-wing conspiracy to overthrow the ANC government violently.

He had manufactured explosives for car bombs in anticipation of the Boeremag’s D-Day plan for September 13, 2002 and continued manufacturing explosives when the mission was abandoned.

While on the run from the police Pretorius, his brothers, Herman van Rooyen and Rudi Gouws built and planted a series of bombs in Soweto, Port Edward, the Grand Central Airport and a Buddhist temple in Bronkhorstspruit.

They also attempted to murder former President Nelson Mandela with a home-made bomb in October 2002.

Pretorius was in the process of manufacturing enough explosives for five massive car bombs – one of them destined for the Pretoria city centre – when he was arrested in December 2002.

Pretorius earlier distanced himself from his family and what he described as their extremist political and religious ideals. Yesterday he issued a statement through his spiritual adviser Sonja Jordaan in which he asked forgiveness for his actions.

“I was wrong and I would like to ask every person who suffered loss and harm through my deeds to forgive me. I am sorry,” he said.