This last week a spate of bombings rocked South Africa. Ten bombblasts in one night actually. It is most probably “white” Afrikaner ultra-rightwing persons that are responsible. These lunatic people will even further alienate different groups of people in South Africa - as if we need it.
In the blasts these terrorists targetted the “black” and the Muslim community by blowing up the transport systems mainly used by “black” people as well as some Mosques. We can only hope that the government will soon get all the culprits behind bars.
Placing the bombs, they tried not to injure anyone by setting it to go off between midnight and 03h00. Unfortunately one of the blasts ripped a piece of railway line, flung it through a nearby shack and killed a young mother in her bed. So much for trying to press your viewpoints by “peaceful” violent means…
Interesting, I have not heard much about this in the news. How big is the problem of White Afrikaner terrorism in South Africa? Are these people still after setting up their own "Boer" homeland as the likes of Euegne Terreblanche were some years ago?
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*Originally posted by Malik73: *
Interesting, I have not heard much about this in the news. How big is the problem of White Afrikaner terrorism in South Africa? Are these people still after setting up their own "Boer" homeland as the likes of Euegne Terreblanche were some years ago?
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A short explanation as to the "colour" mix in South Africa:
"White" people consist of a number of different groups of people depending where they originated from. Very much as talking about Sicilians, Jews, or Japanese in the USA context. The Afrikaner is the largest group and one made up of all European people that came to the country, took on a new identity, started a new language incorporating all the different languages at that time, and even mingled somewhat with the local populations. The Afrikaner can again be divided into at least 5 political groupings:
The ultra-rightwing. About 5% of "white" Afrikaners. Extremely racist and violent. Sometimes some of the other "white" groups will join them because of their racist agenda. Many of them belong to Churches that hold to doctrines such as British-Israelism and that only white people have souls and can be saved (the rest being animals). Presently no-one represent them in parliament.
The conservative-rightwing. About 60% of "white" Afrikaners. Want to have a homeland apart from other races where they can rule themselves. Will still display old flag and sing old anthem. They consider themselves not as being racist, just that they don't want to mingle with other races. Passionate about their churches, language, etc. Represented in parliament by the Freedom Front Party.
The liberals. About 30% of "white" Afrikaners. Took the new flag to heart but might not know the words of the full new anthem. Normally fairly well to do. Happy with life in general in the new SA although they will emigrate at the fall of a hat given the chance. Also passionate for their language but more open to accepting different Christian groupings other than their churches. Definitely NOT violent although they will loudly complain about the governments faults. Represented in parliament by the Democratic Alliance (DA) and New National Party (NNP).
The disenfranchised Afrikaners. About 5% of "white" afrikaners. Very well to do. Normally highly educated. They lost completely their Afrikaner background and will present themselves as English-speaking South Africans although still having an Afrikaans surname. Will emigrate easily. Represented in parliament by the DA and the ANC.
The coloured Afrikaners. For long they were not considered as Afrikaners although their language are mainly Afrikaans, their churches the same as the other Afrikaners. Suffered under Apartheid. Quite a large group in country and not really being helped by the ANC. The ANC consider them too light to be helped as "blacks" while they were considered too dark under the Apartheid era. Not violent. Represented in parliament by the DA, NNP and ANC.
I believe SA will continue to have violence from the ultra-rightwing for years to come. Certain policies of government are not helping the situation either, e.g. the racist Afirmative Action Campaign whereby some of these people lost their jobs. We had violence from them from about 1992 with figureheads such as Eugene Tereblanche, who is presently serving a jail sentence and will most possibly get out next year. All "white" South Africans older than 30 had Military training in the Defence Force. Most has seen battle or been in violent settings during their time in the Defence Force. Most of the miners in the mines are Afrikaners with experience and accessibility to explosions.
A suspected leader of a South African white extremist group has appeared in court in connection with an alleged plot to overthrow the government. Thomas Vorster, 52, was arrested on Monday night and is accused of being a leader of the right-wing “Boeremag” (Boer Power).
Last week, the government blamed right-wing extremists for a series of bomb blasts in the township of Soweto which killed one woman. Mr Vorster is not being linked to those explosions but to an earlier alleged plot to end black rule.
He will be tried on 19 May next year, along with 17 alleged other Boeremag members, according to the French news agency, AFP. A warrant for his arrest was issued in August and police say they tracked him down after intensive intelligence work. In court, he was clean-shaven with short black hair, wearing a checked shirt and hiking boots, reports AFP.
The group was allegedly planning to take control of the government and “chase all blacks out of the country”.
Mr Vorster and some of his alleged accomplices had links with the South African army. South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki has condemned the bomb attacks and warned that it could be the start of a terrorist campaign. “It is clear that there is still a small minority in our society which yearns for a return to the days of antagonistic racial and ethnic divisions that once tore our country apart,” he said.
So far no-one has been arrested or claimed responsibility for last week’s bomb attacks that killed a woman and injured her husband. Several of the explosions targeted railway lines linking Soweto to Johannesburg, leaving busy commuter routes in chaos. Another explosion ripped through a mosque, destroying one of its walls.
Old Man, thats an excellent description of the white peoples in South Africa, thank you. You mentioned the "English-speaking" Afrikaaners. Is it not true that around 1 million white South Africans hold British nationality, owing to their British ancestry? Also has the white popilation in South Africa not plummeted since the early 1990's, with millions? emigrating to the west?