During the late 1960s, Terre'Blanche began to increasingly oppose what he called the "liberal policies" of B. J. Vorster, the then Prime Minister of South Africa. In 1970, Terre'Blanche, along with 6 other Afrikaners, founded the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging. His oratory skills earned him much support amongst the white population of South Africa; the AWB claimed 70,000 members at its height.
On June 17, 1997 Terre'Blanche was sentenced to six years in prison for assaulting a petrol station worker and trying to murder a farm hand. One of only three whites in the Rooigrond prison near Mafikeng, Terre'Blanche was released in June, 2004. During his time in prison, he became a born-again Christian and says that he has dropped many of his more extreme racist views.
Claiming on occasion to be a cultural organisation - albeit one with sidearms and paramilitary uniforms - Terreblanche and his men promised to fight for the survival of the white tribe of Africa.
Terreblanche's thunderous voice and magnificent style of delivery - alternating between roar and husky whisper, with gestures to match - helped to disguise the complete meaninglessness of what he was saying.
Terreblanche's conviction and jail sentence for assault provide the proof that he was a man capable of considerable cruelty.
Terre'Blanche, who is on parole after serving three of a five year sentence for the attempted murder of security guard Paul Motshabi, was arrested on Sunday for going to the Pretoria High Court to get permission to travel out of his magisterial district.
Terre'Blanche also had the option of holding the matter in abeyance as the law provided three years after an event for legal action to be launched.
Terre'Blanche turned to public speaking after a sales and auction job with a farming company fell through and his wife lost a job that had been given to her while her husband was in prison.
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