The decision by US President Donald Trump to impose punitive measures against South Africa over a range of issues touching on domestic and foreign policy has put a spotlight on the activities of the Solidarity movement and its role in the country’s political life.
By initially styling itself as a “civil rights” movement standing for the cultural rights of Afrikaners and flagging violent crime against white farmers, the grouping would have received some sympathy from a broad range of South Africans who buy into the notion of equal treatment for everyone, irrespective of their race, gender, culture or language.
Even its international activities, consorting with right-wing, reactionary movements, would have gone unnoticed by most South Africans — until those activities bore fruit through Trump’s executive orders.
In its memorandum, released during its so-called “diplomatic mission” to the US, AfriForum reveals its broader intentions. In direct contradiction to our government’s foreign relations stance, the grouping nailed its colours to Washington’s mast, saying it shared “the Trump administration’s concerns”. Solidarity said it was “deeply grateful to President Trump for pointing out the serious flaws in South Africa’s domestic and foreign policies”.
This implies it does not believe that South Africa, as a sovereign country, has a right to take an independent stance in line with the country’s interests and choose its own friends in the community of nations.
Additionally, Solidarity accused the government of introducing “aggressive racial laws”, for which we must read transformation, corrective action and restitution. This suggests a rejection not only of the constitutional mandate to right the wrongs of the past but a denial of their occurrence and continuing impact on the majority of South Africans.
Contrary to the organisation’s claim of acting in the interests of South Africa, the memorandum’s authors chose to use inflammatory language laced with half-truths and untruths, which can only serve to inflict maximum damage to South Africa's image.
They described the Bela Act as an “act of aggression”.
Putting South Africa in the same league as the world’s worst countries, the memorandum speaks of “land grabs” and alleges the government failed to take action against “human rights abuses”. Afrikaners, it claims, are treated “as second-class citizens based on our ancestry, culture and race”. This notwithstanding the fact that many Afrikaners today enjoy comparatively comfortable lives that the majority of the population, who are black, can only dream of. And that violent crime affects all citizens, irrespective of race.
The leaders of Solidarity, who are clearly relishing their moment in the international spotlight, have to ask themselves whether their actions are serving to unite or polarise the country. Most South Africans would think the latter
AfriForum’s call for US intervention in our politics calls into question the legitimacy of the elected government, which since the last elections is more representative and inclusive than the previous one dominated by the ANC.
Its leaders may think Trump is their friend. What they ignore is that Trump’s actions in dealing with other countries, including the US’s neighbours and purported allies, have demonstrated that he does not want friends who will be treated as equals. He wants minions and vassals who will march to no other drum but his.
No self-respecting country, including South Africa, will agree to that kind of subjugation. In any case, the US president is a man who has shown himself willing to play fast and loose with constitutionalism and thinks nothing of peddling all manner of untruths.
The leaders of Solidarity, who are clearly relishing their moment in the international spotlight, have to ask themselves whether their actions are serving to unite or polarise the country. Most South Africans would think the latter. They should also reflect on whether their actions serve the interests of nation-building and social cohesion.
AfriForum is entitled to champion the rights of the Afrikaner community as they see them. But in a diverse country such as ours, they must ponder whether pursuing a racially segregationist agenda is the right way to go if they truly want to contribute to a harmonious co-existence of all the country’s people.
Finally, it should be self-evident that South Africa's problems can only be solved in South Africa, by South Africans, through honest engagement within the parameters of our constitutional values of equality and fair and just treatment of all citizens.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.