* South Africa -- population Afrikaners Boers








South African Population: Afrikaners


Figure 1.--Here we see a modern Afrikaaner farm family. The photograph is undated, but we would guess about 2000.

The majority of the white South Africans are Afrikaners. They were formerly known as the Boers. The term 'boer' is the Duch word for farmers. The Boers today are the descendents of the Durch who founded Cape Colony in southern Africa (1652). The Dutch settlers initially estblished a colony at Cape Town near the strategic Cape of Good Hope to support shipping around Africa to Asia. French Huguenots (Protestants) fleeing religious supression arrived (1687) and inter-married with the Dutch. The strict Calvinism of the Boers and their conflict with the vast native population as well as conflivts with the despotic Dutch East India company developed a spirit of rugged independence in the Boers. The Dutch ceeded the Cape Colony to Britain (1814) near the end of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. Conflict with the British began almost at once, but intensified after the British freed the slaves that the Boers still held (1834). The nationality question was finally settled by the Boer War (1899-1902). After World War II (1939-45) the Afrikaners, as blacks were not allowed to vote, gained political control and expanded the already existing Apartheid system. This was not ended until 1994 and Nelson Mandela's victory as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.

The Boers/Afrikaners

The term "boer" is the Duch word for farmers. The Boers today are the descendents of the Durch who founded Cape Colony in southern Africa (1652). The Dutch settlers initially estblished a colony at Cape Town near the strategic Cape of Good Hope to support shipping around Africa to Asia. French Huguenots (Protestants) fleeing religious supression arrived (1687) and inter-married with the Dutch. The strict Calvinism of the Boers and their conflict with the vast native population as well as conflivts with the despotic Dutch East India company developed a spirit of rugged independence in the Boers. The Dutch ceeded the Cape Colony to Britain (1814) near the end of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. Conflict with the British began almost at once, but intensified after the British freed the slaves that the Boers still held (1834).

The Boer Republics

The Boers decided to place themselves beyond British authority and about 7,000 intrpid pioneers emmigrated north in the Great Trek (1835-40). More Boer emmigrants followed and three states were created: the Orange Free State, Natal, and the Transvall. The Boers fought several wars with native populations, especially the Zulus and the British, who unsisted on their jurisdiction. The British annexed Natal to their Cape of Good Hope colony (1844), but recognized the independence of the Orange Free State (1854). The situation in the Transvall was more complicated. Britain annexed the Transvaal (1877), but after a war (1880-81) with the Boers agreed to a kind of semi-independent status. The situation was transformed by the discovery of gold in the Transvaal (1884). This renewed British interest as well as attracted large numbers of foreigners. Boer insistance on limiting foreign rights caused renewed friction with Britain. The abortive Jameson raid (1895-96) was one attempt to establish Brirish control, and one of the major precipitating incidents of the Boer War.

The Boer War (1899-1902)

The Boer War or South African War as it is sometimes called is today an obscure footnote in history. At the time it was a major turning point in history. Not only did it occur at the transition from the Victorian to the Edwardian era, but it helped to confirm the growing opinion in England that it was the rising power of Germany under the mecurial Kaiser Wilhelm II that posed a danger to Britain rather than the traditional English enemy--France. This was a major transition in English thinking that had enormous repersusions in the 20th century. The War also convinced many that major reforms were needed to modernize the Army. The Boer War brought the term concentration camp" to the 20th century. A more happy impact was indirectly the War was involved in the founding of the Scouting movement. The British casualties were much higher than anticipated and the civilian casualties were even higher. European public opinion was incensed and the British began to see their Empire in a new light. It also resolved the question of national jurisdiction in southern Africa.

Boer Image

When the British controlled the Cape Colony and especially as they established control over the largely Dutch/Boer hinterland, they regarded the Boers as an inferior people, somewhat as Americans saw the people of Eastern Europe, like the Poles. They saw the largely rural Boers as a 'degraded class of colonist'. [Keegan] They were often depicted as lazy, dim-witted, simpletins, ignorant, and other negative chaacteristics, even dirty. Lord Kitchener, a prestiouos imperial army commander and colonial administrator deescribed the Boers as 'uncivilised Afrikaner savages with a thin white veneer'. These descriptions appeared even before the Boer War and continued after it. South Africa at the time was one of the Doninions where the British had allowed the local ppopulation to at first exercise local self government and eventually independence. In South Africa's case the vote was restricted to the White munority. And as the Afriakners weee a majority of the White population, Afrikaner political control was fore ordanined innthe post World War II election (1948). The negative descriptions of the Afrikaners as dm-whitted declined, but did not entirely disappear unril the 1970s. The adverse stereotypes were summarized by an Anglican church woman and academoc (1975). She referred to 'empirical evidence' of white English-speaking attitudes toward the Afrikaners to which she did not object. [Charton] The sterotypes included positive views such as being simple and warm. And negative images such as being uncultured, superstitious, and poor efficiency. [Charon] There were a range of pejorative terms which we do not fully understand. Examples are Dutchman, hairyback, rock spider, mealie muncher, takhaar (long hair), bywoner (backyard dweller), backvelder and plank. These illustrate 'the element of cultural and social superiority' which white English-speaking South Africans commonly expressed.

Apartheid (1948-94)

After World War II (1939-45) the Afrikaners, as blacks were not allowed to vote, gained political control and expanded the already existing Apartheid system. It should be sressed that the Afrikaners did not create Apartheid. It was already established by the British. Racist poplicies were in firce throughout the British (and other colonial empires). Soulh Africa was different bevause unlike most of the Empire there was a substantial white minority. The Afrikaners significantly expamded the existing Apartheid System after the National Party election victory (1948). Thus South Africa was an anomally. Ehile the West was turning away from racism and colonialism after World War II, South Africa intensified its racist system. Apartheid means 'apartness' in Afrikaans. It was a comprehebsive system of legislation and regukatiins that imposed segregationist policies against the non-white majority of South Africa. The Afrikaner-dominayed National Party began not only enforcing existing policies of racial segregation, but expanding segraegationis policies. The non-White majority was be forced to live in separate areas from whites and use separate public facilities. The Government pursued policies to limit contact between whites and non-whites. There were different groups of non-whites. The Governent by offering some advantages to Colored (largely Asians) souuh=ghtbto dovide them from the majority Blacks. The Apartheid System was not ended until Nelson Mandela's victory as the first democratically elected president of South Africa (1994).

Afrikaans

Many Afrikaans words were incorporated into the Dutch (and even English) language during and after the Boer Wars? In the Dutch boy scout movement a scout is a "verkenner", a rover a "voortrekker", a leader an "oubaas". Actually the American word "boss" derives from the Dutch-Afrikaans word "baas". Afrikaans is the Dutch spoken by the European, non-English speaking, settlers in Southern Africa, mostly Dutchmen, but also French Huguenots and Germans and eventually Coloureds (people of mixed ancestry) and Cape Malayans from Indonesia who were brought to Cape Town by the Dutch. The words "veld(t)" and "trek" now are fully incorporated into the English language. Afrikaans is actually an undeveloped 17th century Dutch, that however is inventing new words all the time. Television is "kijkkassie" (show box), refrigerator "ijskas" (ice box), etc. The language issue was one of the major issues that lead to the civil disobedince campaign that eventually led to the ebd of Apartheid in South Africa. Most young blacks refused to study Afrikaans in school and demanded to be taught in English.

Afrikaners Today

Following the transferal of power to the African National Congess (ANC) and the dismanteling of the Apartheid System (1994), there has been significant emigration of South African whites. It is not as significant as some had predicted. The almost total flight of Whites in Zimbabwe (Southern Rohodesia) has not been repeated in South Africa. This is largely due to the ANC's moderate wing and Nelson Mandela's leadership. There is a general recognition that the White minority is essenhtial for the economic health of the country. (This is certainly the residual impact of colonialism, but it is also a very real fact of South Africa's modern life.) While the entire white population has not fled, a substantial numbers of whutes have fled. The White population at the time the ANC came to power was some 4.3 million people (1994). Accounts vary somewhat, but it is believed that some 1 million Whites have left the country. [Van Aardt] The reasons cited are commonly rising crime and racially motivated violence. Black on White crime as the main reason as well as the lack of employment opportunities for whites. Importantly what is not mentioned is political oppression by the Black majority Government. The rising crime rate is not uniquely experienced by whites, but the other racial groups in South Africa as well. As a result of the White emigratiom, there are now Afrikaner and English-speaking South African communities in the United Kingdom, Australia and other developed countries. What we are not sure about is the extent to which the Afrikaner population has participated in this exodus. We know that they are part of the exodus, but we are unsure if they have emigrated to the same extent as other South Africans. We believe that much of the emigratiinnhas come from urban areas where the crime problem is most pronounced so they may be a lesser part of the migration. nd notavly the redistributionnof farm land, transfer from White to Black ownership has gime more slowly than planned as of 2000. This may well be accelerated in the future. But the realtive contribytiion of the emigrants we cannot yet confirm. One author identified 'Ordentlikheid' (essentially ethnicised respectability) as kind of glue that holds the Afrikanaer commuity togther. It should be strssed that race is part of Ordentlikheid, but only part and probably a lesser element than other White communities in South Arica. Ordentlikheid respectability within the Afrikaner community includes , its meanings include presentability, proper manners, basic decency, politeness, and humility with a 'Calvinist tenor'. Religion is a very important element. [Van der Westhuizen]

Sources

Charton, Nancy. Charon would be the first Anglian woman to be ordanined as a priest (1992). She also authored an ensightbartical about South African whites in general. "English‐speaking white elites in South African politics, Politikon Vol. 2, No. 2 (2007), pp. 115–28.

Keegan, Timothy. Rural Transformations in Industrialising South Africa (London: 1986).

Van Aardt, Peet. "Million whites leave SA - study," 24.com (April 16, 2008). 24.com is a leading African network of popular digital publishing brands and online services.

Van der Westhuizen, Christi. White Power & the Rise and Fall of the National Party (2007).







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Created: August 13, 2002
Last updated: 1:53 PM 8/21/2020