Chances of an Afrikaner-only enclave materialising are slim

The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) dream to establish an Afrikaner-only enclave of Orania appears slim, if constitutional concerns of racial polarisation are anything to go by. 

Orania is a white separatist area along the Orange River in the Northern Cape, founded by Carel Boshoff, who bought the farm in 1991, leading to the eviction of non-white residents.

While FF+ leader Dr Pieter Groenewald had earlier hoped there was a deal with the ANC for the constitutional recognition of Orania, Northern Cape premier Dr Zamani Saul described the area as “a farm like any other”, saying discussions on its future was a matter for Cabinet.

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‘No Orania’

Reflecting on the status of Orania during an interview with The Citizen, Saul said Orania was “quite an interesting phenomenon”.

“The issue of Orania is not something you can deal with on the basis of a populist instinct. We can dive into that and invoke our populist instincts and shout: ‘no Orania’, but it is not going to take us anywhere.

“There is work that was started and we want that work to be completed by Cabinet,” said Saul.

Orania was not a matter to be settled through courts

In 2000, the High Court in the Northern Cape ruled Orania was not a matter to be settled through courts of law, but should be settled amicably between the Afrikaner community and the provincial government.

Formerly the municipal manager of the Pixley ka Seme District in the Northern Cape, Saul served with Carel Boshoff Junior on one of the four task teams to resolve the Orania issue.

“I used to regularly fly with Carel Boshoff Junior to attend meetings of the task team in Pretoria.”

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The last meeting

“In the last meeting, we were told of the memo on the findings on Orania. The task team memo went to Cabinet and after that we do not know what happened.

“What we are saying as the provincial government, Cabinet must conclude the work which was started,” said Saul.

Saul expressed reservations about Orania getting a constitutional recognition. “Orania is not a town but a farm, like any other, which is located in Ward 1 of Thembelihle Municipality.

No Plans

“There are no town establishment plans for Orania.

“Against the constitution, the Afrikaner community will not be able to establish town plans to council and the province, on condition that black people cannot stay there.

“A town designed to exclude other racial groups will not be approved,” he warned.

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