Thabo Mbeki and the Afrikaners, 1986-2004
Keywords:
African National Congress, Africanist, Afrikaans culture, Constand Viljoen, discussions in Britain, far-right Afrikaners, liberal Afrikaners, National Intelligence Service, National Party, Niel Barnard, rapprochement, right-wing Afrikaners, self-determination, Thabo Mbeki, verligte Afrikaners, volkstaat, Willie Esterhuyse, Afrikanis, Afrikanerkultuur, Constand Viljoengesprekke in Brittanje, liberale Afrikaners, Nasionale Intelligensiediens, Nasionale Party, Niel Barnardregtervleuel-Afrikaners, selfbeskikking, toenadering, “verligte” Afrikaners, ver-regse AfrikanersAbstract
English
Thabo Mbeki’s clandestine contacts from 1985 to 1990 with influential individuals and groups of “establishment” Afrikaners, notably the envoys to Britain, largely facilitated formal negotiations between the NP government and the ANC, culminating in the transition to democracy in 1994. He was also instrumental in negotiating an agreement with Constand Viljoen, thereby preventing a possible insurrection from the Afrikaner rightwing. While demonstrating sympathy with Afrikaners’ sentiments of self-determination, he firmly rejected an ethnic Afrikaner state (volkstaat) as envisaged by right-wing Afrikaners. Talking to various organised Afrikaner groups, Mbeki impressed with his intellect and willingness to listen to their concerns. He showed understanding of their fears and aspirations, and Afrikaners assumed that Mbeki would provide leverage for Afrikaners to live their ideals, notably the protection of the Afrikaans language and Afrikaans educational institutions. However, Afrikaners in due course became impatient with Mbeki’s apparent inertia to implement practical measures to protect their rights. Although talks with him continued, by the early 2000s doubts about Mbeki’s resolve to translate words into action had become pervasive among Afrikaners.
Afrikaans
Thabo Mbeki en die Afrikaners, 1986-2004
Thabo Mbeki se geheime ontmoetings van 1985 tot 1990 met invloedryke individue en groepe van “establishment Afrikaners” – veral die afvaardigings na Brittanje – het grootliks formele onderhandelinge tussen die ANC en die regering moontlik gemaak, wat uitgeloop het op die oorgang na demokrasie in 1994. Sy rol in die ooreenkoms met Constand Viljoen om ʼn moontlike regse opstand te verhoed, was ook deurslaggewend. Hoewel Mbeki simpatie met Afrikanersentimente rakende selfbeskikking getoon het, het hy die totstandkoming van ʼn etniese Afrikanerstaat (volkstaat), soos deur die Afrikanerregtervleuel voorsien, op ferme wyse teengestaan. In sy gesprekke met verskillende georganiseerde Afrikanergroepe, het Mbeki beïndruk met sy intellek en sy bereidwilligheid om na hulle besorgdhede te luister. Hy het begrip vir hulle vrese en aspirasies getoon, en Afrikaners het aanvaar dat Mbeki die geleentheid vir Afrikaners sou skep om hulle ideale, veral die beskerming van die Afrikaanse taal en Afrikaanse opvoedkundige instansies, te verwesenlik. Met verloop van tyd het Afrikaners egter ongeduldig begin raak met Mbeki se skynbare traagheid om praktiese maatreëls in te stel om hulle regte te beskerm. Hoewel gesprekke met hom voortgeduur het, het daar teen die vroeë 2000’s wydverspreide twyfel by Afrikaners bestaan oor Mbeki se wil om die daad by die woord te voeg.
