AFRIKANER- Africa Initiative
JOINT DECLARATION
Outcome of the Afrikaner Africa Conference
Cape Town
27 February 2021
(Official signed copy attached)
JOINT DECLARATION
Outcome of the Afrikaner Africa Conference
Cape Town
27 February 2021
A. Background
1, The Afrikaner-Africa Initiative (AAI), initiated by Mr Chris Opperman, approached the Patron of The Thabo Mbeki Foundation to express a desire —
- To address the feeling of alienation of Afrikaners in the body politic of South Africa.
- To contribute to the economic development of South Africa and Africa by using their skills, network and resources.
2. The Patron delegated this assignment to the Foundation for advice and management, and the Foundation appointed Dr Vincent Maphai to lead the exploratory discussions, initially with no anticipated end results. On the other hand, Mr Chris Opperman convened the Afrikaner group but also acted as an able Convenor for the AAI.
3. Exploratory discussions ensued between the Parties. Such engagements and discussion took various forms, inter alia:
3.1 A visit to Orania by the TMF delegation with Chris Opperman;
3.2 A broad consultative meeting between the TMF Advisory Council and the cross section of the Afrikaner organisations;
3.3 Various bilateral and information-sharing meetings between the parties, including home visits: and
3.4 Interactions (robust) via the WhatsApp medium.
4. The last formal seminar held at Akademia on 20 February 2020 resolved that we create a steering committee (Steer-Com) to design a practical programme for the AAI.
5. The Steer-Com meets regularly and explores various opportunities that can be used by the parties to unleash their cultural and economic energies to the benefit of the country.
6. The Steer-Com arranged for an extended plenary session, which will be attended by the Principals on all sides, including Mr and Mrs Mbeki. Prior to this meeting, the Parties agreed that a detailed planning and agenda-setting bosberaad be held, which was held at Kwa-Ndaba Game Lodge on 8 and 9 February 2021.
7. The parties discussed, in detail, the problems faced by our country in general, and Afrikaners as a community. They also considered principled responses to these problems and designed a practical program to implement the outcomes of their discussions.
B. Kwa-Ndaba — Minute
8. To address the many problems that affect our country in general and the Afrikaner community in particular, We acknowledge the need to enlist the foundational tenets of constitutionalism as highlighted in the Constitution, as well as in best international practice, to address the challenges facing our country.
9. Commenting on the first five years of our constitutional democracy the Patron of the TMF, President Mbeki, said that (our emphasis):
“South Africa enjoys conditions of peace and dignity, We have started to build a united nation, joining hands without regards to race, colour or gender. Each of our communities is free at last to express its linguistic and cultural identity and to assume equal place within our New Nation, inspired by a new patriotism, we can truly say: South Africa belong to all who live in it.”
10. In the light of the foregoing comments, the recognition of, and respect for, diversity is vital to real unity in diversity. The proposals below are not intended to address all the country's enormous problems. They are merely demonstrate our genuine attempt to build social cohesion amongst South Africans.
The following matters were identified for immediate attention and action:
(i) Desire to create inclusive economy to deal with mass poverty.
The Parties agreed that practical and localised economic intervention programs must be undertaken to employ domestic skills and domestic capital to create mass employment by removing restrictive policies and regulations that hinder economic rejuvenation. The parties therefore agree to explore the possible establishment of special industrial and/or economic zones where no such restrictions and impediments would apply.
(ii) Financing for agriculture for new entrance and sustaining current producers.
With the possible collapse of Land Bank and virtually no progress with the land reform programme, there is an urgent need for an alternative financing institution. To this extent, the parties agree to explore the possible investment by a European country that has expressed interest in this regard, which investment will require the cooperation of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, and the Reserve Bank.
(iii) Promotion of agriculture to ensure food security and mass employment.
The Parties agree that agriculture is possibly the quickest way to create employment even for the most unskilled in the society, and that food security must be the priority for our country. The Parties propose to identify two or three agricultural projects that can be undertaken as models for the country. These will be done with various communities, including traditional communities.
(iv) Promotion of indigenous languages from neglect to modern languages.
The Parties acknowledge that language cannot be separated from the promotion of people's culture, values and norms. Consequently, teaching and learning with the mother tongue as language of instruction should be promoted in our schools and other educational institutions.
This means the promotion of writing, teaching and artistic creation in indigenous languages. To this extent, the Parties will cooperate in reviving Lovedale Press and the C.P. Hoogenhout School in Wellington as pilot projects,
(v) Feeling of alienation and trust deficit.
The meeting discussed in detail the feeling of alienation by Afrikaners and low level of trust between them and government. This phenomenon seems particularly evident in the case of Afrikaners. It is important to explore this issue further, understand its source so that we can ultimately overcome it, and heal the pain arising from our past conflicts.
(vi) Inclusion of Minorities in the political life of South Africa.
The Afrikaners, as a community, need access to the national executive, the policy makers and administration, especially on matters that are raised in these minutes, to build trust and to develop areas of cooperation. The Parties agree to explore the possibilities of how this can be achieved and sustained.
Through its work with the TMF, Afrikaners seek to reach out to other communities in South Africa and the rest of the continent to identify areas of cooperation and to promote mutual recognition and respect. This will be addressed through practical programmes as well as intellectual and scientific exchanges between the parties.
(vii) A floundering country, broken economy, and difficult politics.
The current political and economic conditions in our country make it difficult for the Afrikaners to deal directly with government, of which the strategic focus will be to work with communities rather than with government. Support will be sought from government when it is necessary.
(viii) Municipal infrastructure and the creation of functional local government
The Afrikaner community desires to cooperate with other communities to utilise all available skills and experience regarding municipal infrastructure and related know-how in some of the ailing municipalities. The Parties agree to identify two or three municipalities in which such interventions can be made and design a model from these. The Parties emphasised that this will not be based on a paternalistic approach by Afrikaners, but as a natural commitment to serve communities.
(ix) Promotion of safety and security in South Africa.
The Parties agree that South Africa has become an unsafe place, especially with the prevalence of violent crime. The rural and farming communities are even more vulnerable due to their geographical location and lack of security protection. To this extent, AfriForum developed a community- and technology-based security system that can be utilised to contribute to the country's comprehensive security plan, which call for due acknowledgement from the Ministry of Police, the Commissioner of Police and Crime Intelligence.
The parties will cooperate through dialogue to achieve this endeavour, which will also ensure that it does not create a parallel, destabilising system of security.
(x) Non-discrimination in education.
The Afrikaner community does not see education as an important matter only of pedagogy, but for linguistic, cultural, and value-laden discipline. It is important that the communities who are highly concentrated in various areas, including Afrikaner communities, are given some degree of autonomy in the governance of the schools and the right to establish private Afrikaans educational institutions. It is important to be vocal against communities being denied from exercising this right.
(xi) Promotion of culture and heritage for all the communities.
Like education, culture is very important in transferring norms and values from one generation to the next. To this extent, Afrikaners as an African cultural community must be treated in the same way as other traditional and cultural communities to be able to practice their craft, poetry, prose, festivals, music, building memorialisation and other institutions, etc.
C. Conclusion and next steps
12. The Parties note that these areas are agreed priorities for the Afrikaner community and are critical to dealing with social cohesion and economic development for South Africa and the African continent. The Steer-Com will therefore flesh out details with respect to each of the identified areas and create a clear plan around each. A budget for the establishment of the Secretariat is to be prepared for it to drive the implementation of these proposed programmes.
13. The parties recognise that it would be impossible to build a country on foundations of mistrust this therefore constitutes a practical journey to develop trust amongst our people and communities, but— more importantly — to work together to promote the spirit of vuk'urenzele, selfstandigheid, self-help and self-reliance amongst the communities.
This declaration is adopted by the following parties on 27 February 2021 at Cape Town
Thabo Mbeki Foundation
Signed by Dr. Vincent Maphai
Solidarity Movement
Signed by Flip Buys
AfriForum
Signed by Kallie Kriel
AfrikanerBond
Signed by Pieter Vorster
Federasie ran Afrikaanse Kultuurvereniginge (FAK)
Signed by Prof. Koos Malan
Solidarity
Signed by Dr. Dirk Hermann:
Die Dagbreek Trust
Signed by Dr. Theuns Eloff.
Suid-Afrikaanse Akademia vir Kuns en Wetenskap
Signed by Dr. Oppel Greeff
Sakeliga
Signed by Piet le Roux:_
Die Vryheidstigtung
Signed by Carel Boshoff
Southern African Agri Initiative (SAAI)
Signed by Dr. Theo de Jager
National Employers Assocation of South Africa (NEASA)
Signed by Gerhard Papenfus
Afrikaner Africa Initiative (AAI)
Signed by Chris Opperman
Signed by Dr Irma Eloff
Signed by Schalk Burger
The original document can be accessed here.
