In a 1993 survey, when it was abundently clear that white supremacy was on the way out, a little less than a third of white South Africans supported the idea of a reverse bantustan - separating a region of South Africa into an independent, white republic. Obviously it didn't go anywhere, and support has dwindled to a hard core. But what if things had gone differently? I won't claim the expertise to construct a plausible explanation - perhaps Mandela dies in prison and a more violent movement starts to make it look like things are going to go poorly for the whites after democracy comes into place. How would a latter-day Afrikaaner republic function in the world, and in Africa? Would it be able to rehabilitate its image somewhat, attempting to minimize the appearance of segregation? (It's perhaps easier to appear less racist when you just outright exclude people, rather than live among them in violent dominance). Would it reach out to Europe and attempt to draw closer there, to avoid Africa?
The Volkstaat
- Thread starter Sicarius
- Start date
maybe if the afrikaners fear that the situation is fast becoming dangerous (riots and the like), they make a deal with the ANC for a "white reservation" (not called that of course) in exchange for a smooth transition of power to black rule.
The problem with South Africa is that it was a pepper and salt country. Apart from a few suburbs of Cape Town and Jo'burg there were no areas that were white majority but rather every part of the country had some whites and more blacks. It isn't like Israel/Palestine where you can draw (an admittedly complex) line and have 90% of Jews on one side and 90% of Arabs on the other. In order to get a white "bantustan" you would need to
a.) ethnically cleanse a portion of the country of non-whites
b.) persuade the 95% of whites who don't live in the chosen area to move.
Intellectually it was appealing but fell apart as soon as they got down to the details, most importantly where it was going to be. Because a lot of people were in favour of making their area a majority white zone, separate and safe from Black South Africa. Very few people were willing to move across the country if a different area was chosen.
a.) ethnically cleanse a portion of the country of non-whites
b.) persuade the 95% of whites who don't live in the chosen area to move.
Intellectually it was appealing but fell apart as soon as they got down to the details, most importantly where it was going to be. Because a lot of people were in favour of making their area a majority white zone, separate and safe from Black South Africa. Very few people were willing to move across the country if a different area was chosen.
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Well, there is a small enclave, Oranje, proclaimed as a "white" bantustan.
However, it is not working. In-figthing, etc. A pure dictatorship by the mayor, those things.
I think it has a big problem in convncing black people to go there to work as the gardener, the maid, etc. Unfortunately, in many ways, it seems these "hard-liners" forget that all work is carried out by others. This reversal to an apartheid-style life, with black people relegated to menial tasks only, and these "supreme beings" at the top, has gone.
The notion of employing a white maid is probably totally unheard of. But if that cannot happen in the little "paradise" and no black people are interested in slaving along, then they have to do it all themselves, and that is beyond their horizon.
There was an interesting article in the local newspapers some time ago. Their proclaimed goals of "no crime" was not quite there, etc etc. In essence, these notions of skin colour fell flat. As expected.
So no, doubtful. As a matter of fact, afrikaaners and others are, by and large, South Africans.
Ivan
However, it is not working. In-figthing, etc. A pure dictatorship by the mayor, those things.
I think it has a big problem in convncing black people to go there to work as the gardener, the maid, etc. Unfortunately, in many ways, it seems these "hard-liners" forget that all work is carried out by others. This reversal to an apartheid-style life, with black people relegated to menial tasks only, and these "supreme beings" at the top, has gone.
The notion of employing a white maid is probably totally unheard of. But if that cannot happen in the little "paradise" and no black people are interested in slaving along, then they have to do it all themselves, and that is beyond their horizon.
There was an interesting article in the local newspapers some time ago. Their proclaimed goals of "no crime" was not quite there, etc etc. In essence, these notions of skin colour fell flat. As expected.
So no, doubtful. As a matter of fact, afrikaaners and others are, by and large, South Africans.
Ivan
It is also importabt to remember that white South Africans were pretty diverse, the most obvious division being the linguistic one, i.e. afrikaans versus english, but there's more to it than just the language, it's an entirely different tradition and self perception dividing those two groups. You will hardly be able to persuade a liberal english speaking white Cape Towner to move to an arch conservative afrikaaner homeland. And I'm not even speaking about people who cannot simply move because their living is bound to where they live like Cape Province viticulturists or fruit farmers.
I've been to Orania, and all the work is done by whites. Everything. There is actually a problem in that there is a lack of low-cost housing for white people who are working as maids and gardeners and so on, in Orania. Many of them live in Hopetown and have to commute.
But yeah, this is relatively ASB. It would be difficult to get most people to leave the comfort of Gauteng or Cape Town to go live in some (probably unsustainable) ethnic Volkstaat.
Marius, good to see you around again!
In that instance I am totally wrong. I have not been to that part of the world . I based it on a few newspaper articles.
Now, it could obviously be fun to have a South African version of the Amish people out there (!).
Sort of a living museum of discarded ideas (!!).
Ivan
In that instance I am totally wrong. I have not been to that part of the world . I based it on a few newspaper articles.
Now, it could obviously be fun to have a South African version of the Amish people out there (!).
Sort of a living museum of discarded ideas (!!).
Ivan