Fearful Boers flee to South Africa's last white enclave

The Sunday Telegraph ^ | November 24, 2002 | Jane Flanagan

[MadIvan]

Orania, an Afrikaner enclave on the edge of a desert, is being flooded with applications from whites disillusioned with South Africa's black government.

Founded in the early 1990s as white rule ended, the enclave, named after the local river, was an attempt by Afrikaner purists to preserve their culture around an independent Boer republic.

The founding fathers expected thousands to join them but only 600 moved to the dusty, windswept town on the edge of the Karoo desert.

Now, with a widespread fear that South Africa will follow Zimbabwe into political and racial turmoil, Orania is beginning to fill up.

"We are overwhelmed by calls from people inquiring about moving here," said John Strydom, a former GP who moved to Orania five years ago. "We have had 200 calls and e-mails in the last month alone."

Racial tensions have been growing elsewhere in South Africa. A previously unknown group called the Warriors of the Boer Nation have claimed responsibility for a string of explosions in Soweto two weeks ago. Twenty men - including farmers and university lecturers - are being held following the discovery of arms caches and a threat of a Christmas terror campaign.

In Orania, however, such groups are condemned as "hypocrites". Wynand Boshoff, a grandson of Hendrik Verwoerd, the former prime minister and architect of apartheid, said: "These people are professionals who don't mind taking money from blacks, having them as customers or employing them cheaply. But they can't tolerate the idea of them having any power."

While a perimeter fence around the town is strung with warning signs declaring the area "private property", its residents decry violence and choose their words carefully to emphasise the incompatibilities between the Afrikaner and African cultures.

Whereas the old nationalist rulers advocated racial separation yet relied on cheap black labour, the Oranians are prepared to get their hands dirty.

As she picked up a spade to turn the soil in her garden, Riekie de Jager, 62, admitted that she missed the services of the black staff she left behind to move to Orania two years ago. "People think we are here because we hate the blacks - we don't," she said. "We are very friendly with them when we meet. But I am happier here with people like myself.

"Things are going the way of Zimbabwe and we have come here for some security. Things are very bad now, but you wait - when Nelson Mandela dies there will be nothing but chaos. But at least in Orania we can feel safe."

[MadIvan]

This is the last laager (encampment) for the Afrikaners within their traditional homeland. I doubt the ANC will tolerate its existence for too much longer.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Bump!

[F-117A]

Bump!

[holyscroller]

They had better welcome every white face that wants to join them. They're going to need all the help they can get when the worm turns on them. And turn it will.

[F-117A]

Orania

[Bonaparte]

You're right. Those who stay will die. Frankly, I'm surprised they haven't all been slaughtered yet.

[F-117A]

Orania

[Fishing-guy]

How many whites are there in South Africa? How about the other minorities?

[MadIvan]

The last time I checked I think there were only 3 million whites in South Africa.

Regards, Ivan

[Teacher317]

And, on the same day, Zimbabwe reports that half of their population is in danger of starvation, when very recently they were the larget food exporter in southern Africa.

[F-117A]

[rockfish59]

Time for 'Rule # .303!'

[F-117A]

Great Movie!

It does forget to mention that the Dum-Dum bullets the Boers had came from the British armory in Dum-Dum, India. Wonder how they got to south Africa? British troops perhaps?

[F-117A]

[JohnnyRidden]

I remember that in the book The Third World War by General Sir John Hackett he predicted that South Africa would collapse into independant states. The Soviet Union in the book coerced the Black populations of Southern Africa to form an alliance and declare war on the Afrikaner states. The Afrikaner's, with US and Japanese aid, were victorious. Even the book is from 1979, and a lot of it's predictions never came true, maybe this one will in the future (No Soviet aid, of course)..........

[yarddog]

I always thought it was interesting how attractive that flag is considering it is simply a composite of three.

I am pretty surprised that there hasn't already been a guerilla war against the Commies. I guess one reason is if they won, then the whole world would make war against them.

[backhoe]

CIA - The World Factbook 2002 -- South Africa

[okie01]

Another man agreed. "I don't think [the Afrikaaners] should have their own land. In South Africa today we are all trying to live together, and that's very important to us."

A glimpse of the future for Orania...

"Living together" will require the destruction of Afrikaaners.

[CWRWinger]

It does forget to mention that the Dum-Dum bullets the Boers had came from the British armory in Dum-Dum, India. Wonder how they got to south Africa? British troops perhaps?

The Boers used 7mm Mausers. The British used something else (I'm not sure if it was .303 or not). Would the Britsh make dum-dums for a 7mm?