Afrikaner Nationalism, 1925

Hello, I am an Afrikaner born and raised in the Transvaal colonies. You may also know us Afrikaners by the term Boer as well. I would like to bring to your attention my history including the broad ranged Afrikaner nationalism. First of all, Afrikaners completely and utterly rule all form of politics in South Africa. We feel that the promotion of White/Christian superiority is completely necessary by all means as well as promoting the Afrikaans language over any other language. Our strict nationalism has been developed throughout the original years of Afrikaner existence (1850), but it is clearly shown after our victory in the Anglo-Boer War taking place for three years (1899-1902). Our political representation is spread widely throughout South Africa beginning in the hands of Prime Minister Louis Botha and now switching the position over to Prime Minister Jan Christiaan Smuts.

After British rule in South Africa came to a close and a true rise of the Afrikaners became obvious, relations with the British were shaky but were maintained by Louis Botha. Although most Afrikaans were more for the Afrikaans language over the English language, Botha did form an agreement with the British to preserve British customs and power in South Africa. As time grew on though, more and more people became disillusioned by Botha’s relationship with the British, and Afrikaans wanted complete control over South Africa without any British influence. In 1914, the original National Party was formed to advance white, Afrikaner supremacy in South Africa. As the party grew, Afrikaner superiority was further advanced, and more people disfavored British control promoted by Louis Botha, although British power still remained in colonies such as the Cape Colony.

A few years ago, Afrikaner nationalists, including myself, supported strikes formulated by white labor unions because they felt as if a movement to relax the rules on labor preferences for whites working in gold mines was completely unfair. In 1922, the workers on strike and those who supported the strikers sequestered Johannesburg, and they also established the White Workers’ Republic. Jan Smuts, who was currently the Prime minister during these strikes, quickly crushed the rebel white laborers and maintained order in the Republic of South Africa. His glory only remained for a few years because many members of the white labor force including myself began to support a man named J. B. M. Hertzog, who in 1924 became Prime Minister. Smuts also lost his support because of statements like “The British Empire is the greatest stimulant of organized freedom which the world has ever known. By geography, by experience, by practical idealism, by political maturity, by character, the British have a part to play which no other race could do so well.” All of us Afrikaners don’t really want our Prime Minister to promote further British authority in South Africa. I for one am completely supportive of Hertzog and think he has a lot to bring to the Republic of South Africa. He is in complete support of Afrikaner supremacy, and he is in less favor of British power in South Africa. I believe that not only will he enhance Afrikaner superiority even further in South Africa, but also he will be able to maintain order over the Republic of South Africa. The only thing about Prime Minister Hertzog that truly strikes me as quivering is his plan to keep the economy in line because his focus on applying a legislative agenda that would follow Afrikaner nationalism could possibly lead to a repression. All in all I still remain in favor of Hertzog because of his willingness to further advance the supremacy of the Afrikaner ideologies.




-Afrikaner Citizen, July 15th, 1925