Nicolaas (Seer) van Rensburg was a modern day Nostradamus. He became a legend during his lifetime and was one of the most remarkable and controversial characters that ever lived in South Africa.

Right from its first publication in Afrikaans (1993) the biography of Seer van Rensburg had such an impact on readers that it was reprinted 27 times and is still on the best-sellers list. In 2006 a German translation (Wortes eines Propheten) was published by Argo-Verlag, Marktoberdorf. The book had hardly hit the bookshelves when the publisher, Ingrid Schlotterbeck, was harassed by the authorities in every possible manner to prevent the book from being distributed.

A documentary based on the book was broadcast by the SABC-TV in 1999 on Special Assignment, and within a month the executive editor of the program, Max du Preez, was dismissed by the SABC. And more than seven decades after the prophet's death the author, Adriaan Snyman, was victimised and threatened by the government of the day. On Christmas Eve 2002, the police arrived at his house with a warrant to confiscate illegal fire arms, ammunition, books dealing with the Seer's prophecies, Max du Preez's documentary (Nicolaas "Siener" van Rensburg), lectures by the author about the Seer and all related documents. A year later his home was raided once again on Friday, November 30, 2003.

Even in his own lifetime the government of SA considered the Seer's controversial prophecies as a threat to national security. In 1916 he was sentenced to 11 months in prison by Judge Lang who ordered him to keep his dreams and visions to himself!

Van Rensburg not only foretold the future of South Africa, but also that of England, Europe, America, Japan and Russia. Before his death in 1926 he predicted that ethnic violence will explode worldwide after the turn of the century and start World War III. He describes the events on the battlefields of the world in such detail as though he himself had been an eye-witness.

Here are some of the prophecies he made from 1899 until his death in 1926:

• Outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War and that South Africa will lose that war
• The First World War, the Flu epidemic and the Second World War
• Dr. HF Verwoerd, former Prime Minister, will be murdered.
• The nuclear disaster at Chernobyl on April 26 1986
• The divorce and murder of a beautiful English noble woman in a ‘car accident’ and who
would be mourned by the whole world
• The release of Nelson Mandela by ex-President F W de Klerk
• South Africa will be governed by a black government
• Japan's destruction by earthquakes, and that
• England will be struck by seven terrible plagues when World War III is at hand

The astounding prophecies in this book are of great importance, not only to South Africans, but also to the people of the Western world.