From the official blog of the Nelspruit COPE Branch
(Read it all. You may not like some of the viewpoints in the first half but see it through to the end.)
Paul Kruger (1825-1904), a symbol of Afrikaner resistance against the British, said, “One who wants to create the future must not forget the past.” If we, as South Africans, are determined to sweep away the perverse vestiges of racialism that afflict our society, we ought to appreciate the past in order that we do not repeat it. However, many would rather bury their heads in the sand, forget and ignore the past as though it never existed.
Our history is rooted on conflicting nationalistic aspirations between black people and Afrikaners; both imbued with the spirit of nationalism, Afrikaner nationalism and African nationalism – each proceeding from an ideological position that conflicted with the other.
Afrikaner nationalism was an impetus for the Great Trek, the migration of an estimated 12 000 Voortrekkers who were discontent with the imposed British rule, to Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal regions. These Afrikaners were unified in the belief that they were not only superior to the Africans but also shared common abhorrence of the liberals in the Cape Colony.
African nationalism required revolutionary liberation of Africa by means of unity among the colonised nations. African Nationalism demanded that Africans revive their cultures and their traditions from those least influenced by colonial rule. While Africans everywhere else in Africa were demanding liberation from colonial rule, Africans in South Africa were insisting on liberty from Afrikaner repression.
Anton Lembede (1914-1947) said, “A new spirit of African nationalism or Africanism is pervading through and stirring the African society. A young virile nation is in the process of birth and emergence. The national movement imbued with and animated by the national spirit is gaining strength and momentum.”
The history of Africans and Afrikaners is intertwined; it is a history of suffering courage and resistance against repression. The Afrikaners gained their independence from British rule after the Anglo-Boer war and 1948, when the National Party rose to power, heralded the beginning of legislated discrimination and oppression of Africans.
“What do Afrikaners talk about while standing around the “braai” — fire? There, where they are alone and need not be politically correct? They speak of feeling like strangers in South Africa – being powerless with no future. Each tells his own story of injustice and unfairness within the work place (just because he is an Afrikaner) – of his frustration with civil servants’ inefficiency. His children no longer qualify for bursaries and are unable to find jobs,” Dr Pieter Mulder, Leader Freedom Front Plus, remarked, highlighting irrational fears of the few who appear deeply paranoid about current political and economic circumstances. Fears that are far divorced from reality as it is and as it should be.
The dawn of the new political dispensation in 1994 presented hope that South Africans would be unified with common purpose to rebuild the country, but the unfolding political events post liberation indicate that a unified South Africa that we aspired to is still but a distant dream. There are few Afrikaners who are determined to exclude themselves from efforts of nation building and reconciliation.
One would have expected that in the 14 years of liberation political parties would have been making a determined effort towards deracialising politics and providing alternatives for all South Africans regardless of colour; that none of the political parties would be constituted along ethnic or racial lines. The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) proudly proclaims that it is irrevocably committed to the protection and advancement of Afrikaner interests. The aim of the party is to establish a fair and legitimate dispensation for Afrikaners in South Africa, as well as to attain freedom for the Afrikaner in a territory of his own.
None of us would dispute the right of Afrikaners to protect and advance their own interests. The Afrikanerbond, a reincarnation of the Afrikaner Broerderbond, was established in 1994 to advance and promote the Afrikaans language and culture. It therefore defies logic that a political party such as the FF+ would be determined to take us back to 1948, when segregation was the root of all discontent. I do not believe that the majority of Afrikaners espouse the narrow-minded ideology pursued by the FF+. The majority of Afrikaners are progressive and want to see a country unified proudly under one flag instead of seeking a territorial autonomy that the FF+ is advocating.
The FF+ says, “This ideal can be realised by way of an evolutionary process commencing with group autonomy at local government level, leading then to self-determination at regional, provincial and finally national level.” Divisive politics take us a few steps back, when we attempt to make progression towards a truly rainbow nation. The FF+ is out of touch with reality. The Congress of the People (COPE) shall feel the void left by those who abdicated their responsibilities to unite the country.
The ANC has always claimed to be oriented towards non-racialism but under the current leadership the opposite appears increasingly to be true. All the gains made by Nelson Mandela since the liberation in building an inclusive and non-racial society are being reversed in populist pursuits for the preservation of the ANC’s political hegemony.
In 1996 when Louis Farrakhan was visiting South Africa, Nelson Mandela said to him: “In the 1950s, one of the principles we established was non-racialism. We have defended that policy without fear, and have now triumphed and are building a non-racial society in this country. Our basic objectives are to address the demands of the black majority, which have been disadvantaged … but in carrying out this mandate, we will make sure we do not do anything which could be seen as reverse racism.”
We all vividly remember the words of Mandela in 1964 during the Rivonia Trial, when facing charges of treason and possible death. He said: “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for. But, my lord, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
There can be no doubt that Mandela — after spending many years in incarceration — demonstrated his commitment to realising the very ideals that he was banished to Robben Island for. Nelson Mandela knew that transitioning into a democratic dispensation, burdened by personal grudges and suffering under the repressive white regime would sabotage concerted attempts to building this democratic and free society in which we all live together in harmony. A large number of men and women committed to building this non-racial society have made great strides to accommodate their fellow white compatriots, in order that all can join hands and together define the future as it is should be.
It is therefore disconcerting that in 2008 when progress has been made towards the realisation of ideals of Mandela, we have leaders within the ANC who are determined to dividing society along racial lines and create animosity towards other racial groups. The ANC secretary general, Gwede Mantashe, during his campaign in East London on December 7 2008 said:
“Counter-revolutionary forces have been saying that the ANC is just too strong and the ANC must be divided, weakened and defeated. But they forget a long time ago that the opposition parties and the Afrikaners had never had the capacity to destroy the ANC and they never will … They have been hunting for people they can use inside the ANC, its alliances and the broad democratic movement, people who would divide this movement … Now volunteers must go to the people and tell them that the enemy of our people, the enemy of the freedom we fought for have now found the gang of three (Shilowa, Lekota and George). That gang of three has been given a task. You see when you give people a sum of money they can do anything you tell them.”
When accusing the founding members of the COPE, Mantashe proceeds in accusing Afrikaners of being enemies of the people. Mantashe is deliberately arousing historical animosity between black people and the Afrikaner community in order to mobilise the desperate and poor masses against COPE. By labelling COPE as an agent of Afrikaners, Mantashe attempts to pit whites against blacks, saying all those people are against you. To call whites counter-revolutionaries, the ANC believes our fellow compatriots are determined to destroy our country, an allegation that is a blatant insult to every white person in this country.
Jacob Zuma had been going around visiting poor white communities with the media entourage; an act, which clearly is nothing out of genuine concern for the plight of these poor white communities but the desperation to win their votes.
Mantashe has revealed the true colours of the ANC and their disregard of white people as sharing the same love for this country as any other black person who fought against apartheid. The politics of the old that are characterised by colour will not propel our beloved country forward.
The days when we judged one another by colour and not the content of character are over. COPE ushers a new era where all South Africans, black and white, would express their inalienable and democratic rights without fear and victimisation. With COPE, ours is a commitment to building a truly multicultural and non-racial society — a commitment that is shared by all members and supporters and reflecting through the participation of people from all backgrounds in all the structures of the movement.
“We have triumphed in the effort to implant hope in the breasts of the millions of our people. We enter into a covenant that we shall build the society in which all South Africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall, without any fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to human dignity — a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world,” Nelson Mandela said.
Afrikaners and Africans share a common history and it is their commonness that would rapidly propel us to destinies far beyond the reach of the mortal eye. Let us then unite with one mind and one determined purpose. Let us restore the hope without which liberation and even life itself are but dreary things. If there be any among us who wish to defer this hope, let them stand alone, isolated as caricatures of dreadful absurdities.
“Africa unite!” — Bob Marley
DISCLAIMER: The use of the term “African” in the article above is in no way intended to exclude our fellow white compatriots and deny them their Africanness. It is in this instance merely used to draw historical distinctions between the two racial groups.
An Interview with The Trayvon Hoax Director Joel Gilbert
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America got played by an epic race hoax that divided us for no reason.
18 hours ago
6 Opinion(s):
Bla Bla bla ...
Whats COPE'S policy on AA and BEE ?
This article is just loaded with priori & strawmen arguments & specious assertions. First: the notion that this COPE will now "fulfill" the non-racial "promise" is the EXACT SAME CLAPTRAP that the ANC itself used to propel themselves into power.
Anyone falling for this repackaged nonsense in a "new" political party should be ashamed of themselves because as soon as they get into power they will renege on all of their promises just as their predecessor did.
Now let's deal with the multiple fallacies asserted here by the pro COPE author.
Paul Kruger was not an Afrikaner: he only ever referred to himself as a Boer & repeatedly rebuffed the overtures of the Afrikaners because he strongly felt that they were too influenced by the British. [1] He was not just a "symbol" [anyone notice the subtle marginalization that his implies] of Boer resistance [the Cape based Afrikaners were back then pro-British for the most part] to British Colonialism & incursions but he was also the elected President of the main Boer Republic that Britain went to war with. This COPE article implies as though the Boers were not independent prior to the Anglo-Boer War.
Quote: [ Our history is rooted on conflicting nationalistic aspirations between black people and Afrikaners; both imbued with the spirit of nationalism, Afrikaner nationalism and African nationalism – each proceeding from an ideological position that conflicted with the other. ]
This is a total hatchet job & oversimplification of the historical facts. The history he is referring to is certainly the history of South Africa under the amorphous grouping of Afrikaners whose nationalism [re: revamped British Imperialism with an Afrikaans face] conflicted with the Bantu people only because the Afrikaner regime inherited a macro State that was created by the British & which held sway over all of the peoples therein. The Boer people [who were only about one third of the newly named Afrikaner group] NEVER governed like this in the past & they NEVER wanted to. It is only because they were dragged into the Afrikaner designation by the strategizing Afrikaans & Anglo leadership that they were ever associated with the Afrikaners at all in the first place. The Boer people NEVER had any interest in ruling a macro State [most of them never had any such hubris-based ambitions & were a humble people!] having to now look after many other cultures as they were only ever interested in governing themselves & letting other peoples to govern themselves as well. The Afrikaner governing style was a direct off shoot of the British governance which manged a British created macro state which marginalized the Boer people as well as their two conquered former republics.
Both Afrikaner Nationalism & African Nationalism had hardly anything to do with any actual nationalism because both of these alleged nationalisms were nothing more that a repackaged form of Colonialism! Colonialism you ask? What the hell am I talking about? Well true nationalism relates to... Nations -ie: peoples not politicized confederations of groups which simply share a common race. Both Afrikaner Nationalism & African Nationalism (& British Imperialism for that matter & in fact the root antecedent of BOTH discussed nationalisms) were concerned mainly with gaining control of the macro State of South Africa AS CREATED BY THE BRITISH IMPERIALISTS!!!!! Please read this point again & reflect on it & its obvious ramifications. Afrikaner Nationalism & African Nationalism were not concerned with promoting any true nationalist [ie: national group like: Boer / Sotho / Griqua / Xhosa / Zulu etc.] because those "nationalisms" were nothing more than the latest incarnation of Colonialism & Colonial rule because both nationalisms are in fact nothing more than a surrogate ruling power for the original British created macro State apparatus & the financial power propping it up. The so called nationalisms spoken of here are nothing more than Colonialism & Statism masquerading as nationalism. This is why the various nationalisms could never escape from using the coercive powers of the State & could never transcend the oppressive tendencies inherent in the execution of macro State power.
Quote: [ Afrikaner nationalism was an impetus for the Great Trek.]
This is demonstrably disproved because the fact of the matter was that the main impetus for the [later named] Great Trek was the constant Xhosa killing of Boers on the frontier coupled with the oppressive British Colonialism which was overtly aiming at Anglicizing the Boers of the frontier & sided against them while attempting to impose British legislation onto a proud independent people who viewed foreign legislation [indeed any legislation] with contempt. The Afrikaner rewriting of the Boers' history only recast the Great Trek as "Afrikaner Nationalism" BUT this was only done starting in the 1930s when the Cape based Afrikaners were using SOME [the preceding word is a very important word to bear in mind] of the Boers notable history -like the Great Trek in order to advance their Afrikaner Nationalism whose aim was to capture & control the British Imperial macro State & to co-opt the Boer people in the process so as to make sure that this fiercely independent people did not opt to restore their Boer Republics as they had attempted to in 1914 during the ill-fated Maritz Rebellion.
Quote: [ These Afrikaners were unified in the belief that they were not only superior to the Africans but also shared common abhorrence of the liberals in the Cape Colony. ]
The terms used here are so badly defined & distorted resulting in a problem in itself. No. the notion that the Boers though of themselves as "superior" is a gross exaggeration which has been repeated by virtually anyone with an anti-Boer axe to grind. The Boers entered into associations with some local tribal groups from time to time dispelling the assertion that this pro COPE author was insinuating. The Boers abhorred everything about the Cape from its oppressive British Colonial power to its economic system to the Cape Dutch: not just people who might have had a different political outlook to the frontier Boers.
Quote: [ African Nationalism demanded that Africans revive their cultures and their traditions from those least influenced by colonial rule. ]
One can only laugh at this ridiculous assertion because the French speaking people of West & central Africa still speak French & maintain Colonial influences which makes a lie out the above statement. Furthermore: when the Apartheid regime attempted to maintain the cultures & traditions of the local Bantus: they were derided as racist.
The Soweto Uprising was based on township dwellers wanting to be taught in English. Not isiXhosa or Zulu! Think about that! They might have been rebelling against having to take classes in Afrikaans [a bone fide African language also spoken by a variety of mixed race peoples] but they sure as hell were not rioting to be taught in their own traditional languages. So much for another Sentletse assertion.
Quote: [ Africans in South Africa were insisting on liberty from Afrikaner repression. ]
No. They were insisting on liberty from State repression that the Afrikaners only happened to have inherited & be in control of when they decided to demand this "liberation" in larger numbers. Which turned out to be a massive lie because as one ANC member admitted on Canadian television back in 2000: they were only ever interested in controlling the State! So much for the "liberation" assertion.
Quote: [ The history of Africans and Afrikaners is intertwined; it is a history of suffering courage and resistance against repression. The Afrikaners gained their independence from British rule after the Anglo-Boer war and 1948, when the National Party rose to power, heralded the beginning of legislated discrimination and oppression of Africans. ]
How can so many lies fit into one paragraph. No. Their histories were not "intertwined" until about 1777 when the Boer segment of the later named macro " Afrikaner" designation met up with some of the local Bantus. The last sentence is an interesting distortion & half truth because while one could certainly argue that the Afrikaners gained independence from Britain after the Anglo-Boer War - the fact of the matter is that the Boer people were long since independent from British rule since 1852 with the signing of the Sand River Convention [2] & then others later with the signing of the Orange River Convention. [3] No. Legislated discrimination & oppression of other Africans began LONG before the rise of the National Party as the British Colonial regime initiated the first discriminatory legislation in the region.
Quote: [ The dawn of the new political dispensation in 1994 presented hope that South Africans would be unified with common purpose to rebuild the country ]
South Africa is not a "country" [another lie!] as it is an imperial macro State which rules over the various conquered countries [& peoples therein] which were annexed & absorbed into this oppressive monstrosity of a macro State. There was not so much a "new" political dispensation in 1994 as much as there was simply a repackaging of the surrogate ruling regime & given a " representative" face but the fact is that it still rules over a multitude of diverse peoples / ethnic groups & nations.
Quote: [ There are few Afrikaners who are determined to exclude themselves from efforts of nation building and reconciliation. ]
Specious wording once again because "nation building" is just a euphemism for imperialism [as everyone must submit to the imperialists oops I mean "nation builders"] & no one is opposed to reconciliation. Just that the term Reconciliation is often bandied about as a tool to subjugate those who are a "threat" to the imperial neo Colonial rulers of the State & to impose the will of the current middle management rulers.
Quote: [ One would have expected that in the 14 years of liberation. ]
A blatant priori argument as there is no "liberation" only a new form of Colonialism masquerading as "freedom" in much the same deluded manner that Fidel Castro presents himself as: "the great liberator" while the people in fact languish.
Quote: [ None of us would dispute the right of Afrikaners to protect and advance their own interests. ]
Nice trick Sentletse but the Afrikaners are a loose former political coalition who have divergent interests because the Afrikaans money / media power often stands in the way of the Boers & their freedom struggle to name one divergence of interests. [4]
Quote: [ The Afrikanerbond, a reincarnation of the Afrikaner Broerderbond, was established in 1994 to advance and promote the Afrikaans language and culture. ]
The revamped Broerderbond is still serving its London based masters & only promotes Afrikaans culture insofar as stepping stone to secure the interests of its old London based masters.
Quote: [ It therefore defies logic that a political party such as the FF+ would be determined to take us back to 1948, when segregation was the root of all discontent. ]
More priori arguments again. This Sentletse fellow is a master propagandist. The Freedom Front Plus is a convenient straw man because they explicitly do not want to go back to segregation as all they are arguing for is for self determination. Furthermore: segregation was not the "root" of all discontent as he conveniently neglects to mention the Colonial imperialism at the root of it all. Also: the Freedom Front Plus is probably detrimental to the long term survival of the Afrikaans speaking peoples for the simple reason that they legitimize the illegal macro State through their participation in the rigged political process. The Freedom Front Plus acts as a convenient cover for the regime to point to & claim that they are "democratic" while systematically oppressing & rescinding the rights of the Afrikaans speaking peoples.
Quote: [ I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. ]
Mandela was most certainly lying & grandstanding because his proposed dispensation resulted in exactly the sort of Black domination he claimed to have "fought" against. What a joke. Furthermore: the National Party actually worked against total White domination by granting independence & self government to a number of traditional Bantu settlements.
Quote: [ It is therefore disconcerting... ]
No Sentletse: what is disconcerting is your total lack of insight & outright distortion of important historical events.
Quote: [ the Afrikaners had never had the capacity to destroy the ANC and they never will... ]
Perhaps this is due entirely to fact that the National Party revived the ANC in order to help bring it to power as outlined by Afrikaans civil rights activist Dan Roodt. [5]
Quote: [ The days when we judged one another by colour and not the content of character are over. ]
Then what are BEE & Affirmative Action then.
Quote: [ COPE ushers a new era where all South Africans, black and white, would express their inalienable and democratic rights without fear and victimisation. ]
Grandstanding self serving bullshit because no one is allowed to assert their inherent rights to get out from under the oppressive neo Colonial dispensation.
Quote: [ If there be any among us who wish to defer this hope, let them stand alone, isolated as caricatures of dreadful absurdities. ]
Ad homimen attacks & psychological warfare tactics against those who wish to get out from under this oppressive neo Colonial dispensation are not legitimate nor credible forms of discourse or debate Sentletse. I think he knows that but is just craven in his actions & counting on enough people to be rather ignorant of the facts.
Notes.
1. Clare Wyllie interviews Professor Gerrit Schutte.
Quote: [ Paul Kruger did not like people from the Cape - he felt they were subjugated by the British, so he encouraged people from the Netherlands to work in the Transvaal as a way to strengthen Boer independence. ]
2. The Sand River Convention.
3. The Orange River Convention.
4. Theuns Cloete of Boervolk Radio notes this at 37 minutes during this December 2007 interview with the TRP.
5. The Scourge of the ANC. Dan Roodt.
Post Script. I know that the author of the pro COPE author will not likely read my rebuttal but I had to address it nonetheless.
I posted the article because I think it encapsulates the views of the 'new' ANC in a nutshell. Notice how the writer goes to great trouble to placate White sensitivities with a disclaimer 'n all.
I accept, no, WANT people to dump the ANC in favour of any other party but what is disconcerting to see is how some Whites are flocking to COPE like it will be different to the ANC when really, all COPE is, is a new ANC.
I have no doubt, absolutely no doubt, that if it were ever to come into power that these ex-ANC people will revert to the same racist policies of the ANC. Let's not be fooled, these people were supporting the ANC's racist policies until two months ago and unless they all underwent an epiphany overnight, what you have essentially is the same ANC people under the guise of another party who realised the ANC's time was up and are just re-positioning themselves for the new order in SA.
This is an important article which needed to be published. One must of course examine whether the people writing these are being genuine -- and also consider what they were doing before they created COPE. If they are really genuine they should openly support the independent Afrikaner homeland urge which has been suppressed for so long in South Africa. Serious talks should be started not about Afrikaners should join Cope, but where the borders for their Afrikaner-Boer republic can be drawn. Nothing else will now satisfy the Afrikaner electorate any more. Oh some will be fooled into joining COPE but they will soon find, as they did with ANC membership, that their own special needs - to find a secure homeland for their small minority -- were being ignored, suppressed and laughed at. If COPE is really serious, they would also call for a start to the Afrikaner homeland by granting complete autonomy to Orania - AS A START.
"If they are really genuine they should openly support the independent Afrikaner homeland urge which has been suppressed for so long in South Africa"
You have far to much hope in COPE. Something I do not have. I only like the idea that someone is coming to split the ANC - thats it!
The Lekota was the very same person who brought to an end the Kommando units. That happened under his tenure. That tells me he could not give a damn about Afrikaners.
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