The trialists face 42 charges ranging from murder and attempted murder to treason, terrorism, and the illegal possession of arms, ammunition and explosives.
The trial is expected to last up to three years.
Piet Pistorius, appearing for 13 of the men, complained in the morning that his clients were being transported to and from court in unsuitable vehicles, and were hurt in the process.
The prosecution retorted that police have complained of the accused calling them "baboons" and "oerdiere" (primordial animals). Some allegedly expressed the wish that their keepers had died in the womb, said chief Prosecutor Paul Fick.
Two defence lawyers asked Judge Eben Jordaan to forbid the media from writing Fick's claims as it could hurt their clients' public image and place them in danger. They complained of "sensationalist" media reporting on the case.
At least one of the trialists denied uttering such words.
The judge declined to an order to this effect, but pointed out that the claims were untested.
Defence counsel also complained about the lack of space and poor acoustics in the court.
Bernard Bantjes told Jordaan that a lack of space precluded him from bringing to court any of the numerous files containing the case docket.
The dock was also too small for all 22 accused.
Bantjes said he suspected maliciousness as the authorities must have known right from the start that the courtroom set aside for the trial in the Palace of Justice was unsuitable.
Jordaan said he had sympathy with the complaints. He said he would lead a delegation of Boeremag lawyers to the office of Transvaal Judge President Bernard Ngoepe this morning to seek a solution to the logistical problems.
The court heard yesterday that alleged Boeremag members were in 2001 provided with maps, aerial photographs and weapons and ammunition stock lists of the Lohatlha defence force base in the Northern Cape in furtherance of their planned coup d'etat.
Police informer Johannes Coenraad Smit testified that he received these documents from two of the accused during a meeting in August that year.
One of them, Jacques Olivier, was at the time a major attached to the Lohatlha base and responsible for stocktaking, Smit testified.
The other was Dion van den Heever, a self-employed electrician.
Another Boeremag accused, Jacobus "Rooikoos" du Plessis, was also present at the meeting. They all apparently believed Smit to be one of them.
He testified in detail about a map of the base and several aerial photographs on which a number of "targets" were marked.
He also gave evidence about a stock sheet he said he received from Olivier and van den Heever, on which was listed all the weapons and ammunition stored at the base.
Smit told the court that Colonel Giel Burger, then the base's second in command, was approached about the coup plan and showed interest.
It was decided at the August meeting, he said, that Burger would be asked for help in planning the operation.
Among other things, he would be requested to ensure there was enough diesel at the base, and that all the army vehicles were battle-ready.
"He would be approached to draw up a strategic plan for taking over the base," Smit testified.
Burger is accused number seven.
The trial was postponed to today for lawyers of some of the trialists to prepare for an urgent high court application to "enforce" their clients' human rights. – Sapa.
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