Johan "Lets" Pretorius is a medical doctor

Physician

A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...

 from Potgietersrus

Mokopane

Mokopane , is a town in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The town was established by the Voortrekkers and named Potgietersrus after the slain Voortrekker leader Piet Potgieter...

, South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 as well as a right-winger

Right-wing politics

In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...

 who belongs to the Boeremag

Boeremag

The Boeremag is a South African right-wing activism group with white separatist aims and is accused of planning to overthrow the ruling African National Congress government and to reinstate a new Boer administered republic reminiscent of the era when Boers administered independent republics...

, an irredentist organization. He is married to Minnie Pretorius and has three sons Johan, Kobus and Wilhelm who also belong to the Boeremag.

He was arrested on 15 September 2002 when he was found with a truck laden of weapons and explosives in Lichtenburg

Lichtenburg, North West

Lichtenburg is a town situated in North West Province of South Africa. It is the administrative centre of Ditsobotla Local Municipality.The town was established in 1873 and was named by Transvaal President Thomas François Burgers, Lichtenburg...

. Along with his three sons, he became one of the defendants in the Boeremag treason trial. During cross-examination in this trial, on 26 April 2010 his son Johan claimed that he was not a criminal, but had been a soldier for the "Boerevolk" and thus should be treated as a prisoner of war

Prisoner of war

A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...

. Presiding Judge Eben Jordaan rejected this application several months later on 21 August.