Bert Grobler, a medical training specialist, testified that he initially joined the Boere Legioen but changed allegiances to join the Crusaders when he saw a social media video of Knoesen preaching a change in political discourse.

He met with Knoesen at a mall in Boksburg and the pair soon became friends.

After attending a number of Crusader meetings Grobler received the rank of Crusaders Brigadier, but later realised that the violent government takeover by the Crusaders would not occur because the movement’s cells weren’t ready with its attack plan.

He testified to Knoesen’s attack template, which was corroborated by Errol Abrahams, another close associate of Knoesen, who is serving an eight-year prison sentence for his involvement with the Crusaders.

Both Grobler and Abrahams testified that military bases and police stations in selected towns would be overtaken first before “the big bang” would take place in the townships to kill as many people in one blast as possible.

Abrahams said their plan was to use crop-dusters to drop explosives on townships while the Eastern Cape cell was to blow up a gas factory “which would wipe out the entire town”.

Grobler in his preceding testimony also alluded to the big bang which was supposed to take place in his area, namely Pretoria.

In tearful testimony Grobler said his wife died of cancer, which was in remission for ten years, after the Hawks pounced on his home and practice.

“The trauma she sustained revived the cancer which was unstoppable,” he cried.

He said Knoesen told him during a prison visit after his arrest that the entire attack plan was nothing more than a joke, proving there was no actual intent to follow through on the plan hatched solely to agitate other far-right movements.

Abrahams later testified that he had lost everything, resulting in his daughter having to leave school as he was in prison and could not cover her tuition fees.

Both men were adamant that what Knoesen was planning, was no joke and taken very serious by his followers.

“Losing my wife was no joke,” Grobler said.

“Unfortunately, I was part of his plan,” an aggrieved Grobler said before he was dismissed with immunity from further prosecution for his honesty.

Abrahams is still in jail.

The trial continues in the Middelburg High Court next week.