Carl Niehaus, EFF member, Brags on RSG About Smuggling Weapons and Bombs to ANC During Apartheid – “Proud of Every Bomb I Planted”

In a recent radio interview on RSG (Radio Sonder Grense), prominent South African politician and EFF Member of Parliament Carl Niehaus openly boasted about his role in smuggling weapons and bombs to the ANC during the apartheid years.

Niehaus, who was convicted of high treason in the 1980s for his involvement in anti-apartheid activities, described his actions with clear pride and said he only regretted that he had not done more.

Listeners reacted strongly to the interview. Many were stunned and angered by the casual and unapologetic tone. One common online reaction captured the sentiment: “He bragged yesterday on RSG about how he smuggled weapons and bombs during the apartheid years to give to the ANC. Can you still remember…… those bombs that murdered innocent women and children?”

Niehaus has repeatedly defended the ANC’s armed struggle, including the use of bombs and landmines. In public statements and on social media, he has declared: “I am very proud of every bomb that I planted in the liberation struggle against apartheid. As I have said before, I only regret that I have not done more.”

Critics point out that many ANC bombings and attacks in the 1980s resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians — including women and children — rather than solely targeting security forces.

During the apartheid era, Niehaus was involved in reconnaissance for sabotage targets, such as the Johannesburg Gas Works. He spent several years in prison and later became one of the most vocal white defenders of the ANC’s “armed struggle,” describing it as a necessary response to oppression.

Supporters see Niehaus as a principled Afrikaner who broke ranks with his own community to fight for justice and equality. Detractors, however, accuse him of glorifying terrorism and showing little to no remorse for the civilian victims of ANC violence.

The latest RSG interview has once again ignited painful debates about South Africa’s past. While the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) tried to confront atrocities committed by all sides, many families who lost loved ones in ANC attacks feel that figures like Niehaus continue to celebrate actions that caused deep suffering, without genuine accountability or empathy for the victims.

Niehaus currently serves as a Member of Parliament for the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). His consistent and unapologetic defence of historical violence draws strong support from radical left circles, but sharp condemnation from those who believe true national reconciliation requires honest acknowledgment of the full human cost on all sides — including the innocent lives lost to bombs and landmines.

As South Africa continues to wrestle with its deeply divided history, Niehaus’s latest comments serve as a stark reminder that for some, the “liberation struggle” remains a source of pride with no regrets, while for others it represents unresolved trauma and selective memory.

The question remains: how does a democratic South Africa reconcile open boasting about past bombings with the ongoing need for genuine national healing and reconciliation?