Assignment 5: Orania
For my second assignment, I decided to visit a town in the Northern Cape, called Orania.
The town was purchased from the Department of Water Affairs, who originally created the small town to house workers and staff responsible for the construction of the nearby Vanderkloof damn, in 1990 at a cost of R1,5 million. Orania was officially opened on the 11th April 1991. Orania’s founders created the town with a vision of ensuring the Afrikanerdom heritage and way of life is not only strictly observed, but also an actual practice. At the heart of this heritage is selfwerksaamheid (‘self reliance’).
All jobs in Orania are filled by Afrikaners only; non-Afrikaner workers are not permitted.
Instead of relying on black people to perform menial tasks, as is the norm within South African households, residents perform most of the work themselves, or use fellow Afrikaners.Orania is like many other towns and cities in South Africa, there are the poorer areas and the more affluent areas.
The main difference with Orania is that you will often only see white people, Orania does not have any black, Indian or coloured residents.
That doesn’t mean black people aren’t allowed, on the contrary. During my period in Orania, I saw a handful of black people entering the town, purchasing goods from the local shop and also filling up with petrol at the local petrol station. Recently, outspoken ANC Youth League leader, Julius Malema visited the town and asked to erect ANC election posters, the request being granted by the Orania leaders.
ANC members wandered around the town, without any hostilities from the residents.I spent the Easter weekend, an important religious weekend for Christians, in Orania with the objective of obtaining a deeper understanding about their way of life.Driving through the Karoo scrubland that neighbours Orania, you are greeted with vast stretches of land, countless land.
Overlooking the town is a bust of the former president of South Africa, H. F. Verwoerd, often referred to as the architect of Apartheid. Inside the town, a small museum has been created to showcase the life of Verwoerd, with personal possessions on show.
Initial impressions are that this is a town where no black people are allowed. Previous media reports have been quick to anchor this as their main story lines, but spending time in the town and speaking to various people, this is anything but the truth.
Under the South African constitution, it is illegal to discriminate based on a colour of a person.
Orania is not breaking the law, there is no discrimination, they choose to do all the work themselves and not rely on the cheap labor force, as fellow South Africans are quick to do.Self sufficiency is a big part of Orania life. The town has a large Pecan nut plantation and also has its own currency, the Ora, which can only be used in the town.
The crime levels are low, it has two schools where an emphasis is placed on Afrikaner history and Christian religion.It has a group of shops, including an OK supermarket, a petrol station, Internet cfe and a swimming pool. Contrary to recent media reports, Orania is not fading away, but is growing in size and strength with those Afrikaners wanting a return to a more traditional way of life.
TF1 has produced a video about Orania and it can be viewed, in French:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/10/belgium-immigration-integration-religion
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/Decade_of_Freedom/0,,2-7-1598_1515558,00.html
again, how very interesting.
an approach like that feels uncomfortable to me, as a British liberal with the typical British liberal hang-ups about race and discrimination and political correctness.
Such a town would cause an uproar here, with the Daily Mail and its ilk rushing to their defence while at the same time stirring the pot…the ugly face of the BNP would no doubt get involved. I’d love to see all races and cultures mingle happily but it doesn’t look like it’s ever likely to happen…at least places like Orania are doing it more softly than in the bad old days of Apartheid, and doing their own dirty work rather than rely on the blacks to do it
Ciara,
You say that such a town might cause an uproar like that in the UK, but there are towns that operate the same way.
The Orthodox Jewish community in North London, the Muslim community in East London and Birmingham, all keep to a strict community only way of living.
I don’t think, as human beings, we will ever completely mix. It’s a political dream to expect it, but the harsh reality is that it’s not in our nature.
I visited Orania over Christmas and its distinctiveness from the rest of South Africa is obvious. They have chosen to live a different lifestyle to the one the liberal elite wants them to live. I live in London and certainly, Orania is a big contrast to our smug, multiculturalism-worshipping city.
Everyone I met was welcoming of me. I received 3 invitations to Christmas dinner. Some people might question if people might have reacted differently on account of differing circumstances, such as the fact that I am white, the fact that I’m very interested in the Afrikaans culture and the fact that I had learned Afrikaans to fluency before my visit.
[...] Cosua just informed me that my Orania editorial has just been featured in Issue 5 of Posi+Tive Magazine [...]
Orania is a place of idiots where a couple of people with money run the place i have worked ther for over a year and know where i am talking about in Orania live the people with money and in klein geluk the people who are the workers the work for max R 100,= per day that is 9 euro per day from 06.00Hrs. till 18.00 Hrs slave work
I do like it when people comment on Orania but it is al based on first impression stay there for a litle time and it will open you eyes the believe in ghost en acording the constitution of south afrika the are a farm and not a town en never will the have indepandence. I am a hollander and have being under cuver in orania for the african SAPS (wake up dont believe what you see at first.)
I think with anything like this, the reason why we only comment on what we see is just that, it’s what we see.
Whilst you say R100 a day is slave labour, when compared to the European alternative, in SA it is a decent daily wage and acceptable by many as a good days wage for menial work. You also mention the SAPS was employing you as a undercover operative, if that was truly the case, there would be no chance of any ANC top-level politician visiting the town prior to the election, especially if the town was under investigation.
I guess it leaves me to ask what exactly you were investigating. Was it the minimum day wage paid to farm workers or something else?
That is a silly comparison to be made. You can still work in Finchley or Hampstead if you are not Jewish. You can still live or work in Brick Land if you are not Bangladeshi…
Whatever culture people uphold in their own family homes, that is up to them. Whatever culture people adhere to in their own businesses, that is up to them. But when you start to extend your own political and cultural views into other people’s homes, you extend beyond your boundaries. At that point you are becoming dictatorial and authoritarian.
Many people in life do not choose to mix. That is fine. But many other people do choose to mix. And that is fine also. We are not all the same, and all adults are capable of making their own decisions for themselves. They do not need to be herded like cattle this way or that way.
Why does eberything become a debate? especially when it comes to South Africa. as the son of an afrikaner and an englishwoman i think i can speak for the majority of the white south African polulation. And being born in South Africa i have the right to say anything about my country. what i have to say is that i believe that if everybody stopped arguing about who was wrong or right then things might actually be achieved. i truly believe that orania should be allowed to exist. so long as orania keeps its problenms internal and does not try to put its way of life and thinking on other communities then it will not be a threat. however if it builds in popularity and begins to expand then why should a few individuals argue with that? if the individuals put as much effort helping to build their own communities rather than criticizing others. then something they might actually achieve something.
my personal belief though is that anyone born in South Africa has a right to vote and the right to claim land. i also believe that to punish people now for crimes commited one hundred, two hundred, three hundred years ago. is a shame.
but then again im not sitting around people. get involved in politics if you want to make a point hey?
Its very refreshing to see something written completely objectively, thank you for that. People too often condemn Orania for choosing the way they live, but guess what? It works. There is 0% corruption, complete safety, all in all a great place to live and be raised, a veritable oasis of calm in a troubled land. And if it expands, all the better! Best of luck Orania!
I am so ready to uproot and go and live amongst likeminded people. I am no racist, however being exposed to crime, corruption, and generally bad service-delivery and low IQ people whom act as if they are God’s gift to others make me feel sicker by the day.
We all deserve Gods best and if Orania is it, then I am all for it. My family and I do our own work anyway, as we are sick and tired of replacing things that “workers” break on purpose just to annoy us.
Relocating will only mean “entering the gates of Heaven and living in Peace”
If I only have this one life, then I truely want to enjoy it my way!!
God Bless those who see the Light!!
[...] dealers, Karen National Liberation Army high ranking officials & Burmese migrant workers, a community wishing to live on their own, away from racial integration, Shark hunters and people in and around [...]
I agree 100% with Pieter van Wyk, the longer I have to mingle with this people who pretend to be gifts from up above, the more likely is my chance to go straight to hell!
How can you be so smart, but so badly mannered? You sit in all the top positions, but you cant even spell! Luckily we as a family grew up working the hard way, we dont wait for someone to lay the table or do the dishes. Orania will be like going home, it will be the one thing Ive always needed:
“rus en vrede vir my siel”…
Pieter en Annemarie ek stem en as ek een cent kon kry vir al die str**t wat hierdie ander praat kon ‘n mens n damn lekker lewe geniet
DANIEL, thank you for your objective report on Orania.
As a young Afrikaner, who had nothing to do with apartheid, I really tried to integrate into the New South Africa. I even learned “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” off by heart! At the same time I maintained my pride as an Afrikaner and tried to live my life as best I could as a member of an ethnic minority ruled by a black majority in South Africa.
After a while I realised that the only way I could fully integrate into the new South African society was if I turned my back on my Afrikaner heritage, culture, language and traditions as there REALLY is no place for these in the new South African society – especially not in business.
As an entrepreneur I found the government’s enforced racial quotas and obession with black empowerment simply unacceptable. There were many other issues also troubling me at that time – such as openly advocated racism against Afrikaners, corruption on all levels (including the police), seriously high levels of violent crime on Afrikaners (especially those living on farms), a system undermining merit etc. but I’m not going to go into all that now as I would like to keep this as short as possible.
Instead of emigrating, as many Afrikaners do, I decided to visited Orania first as I really didn’t want to leave my fatherland. What a revelation it turned out to be! I immediately felt at home and was really impressed with the positive attitude of Oraniërs. I visited Orania a few times during the past year and have now bought land and started my own Orania-based travel company. I want to allow other Afrikaners the opportunity to have the same experience I had when I first discovered Orania. It gives my people sincere hope for the future of the Afrikaners, which is more than I can say about any other inisiative launched by the liberals in this country.
Orania will grow from strength to strength and the Afrikaner will have their own independent state again in the near future. We’ve learned from our forefathers’ mistakes and are now moving on by doing everything ourself.
We’ll do our part for Africa as we are an indigenous volk (people) of Africa. We share in this continent’s pain and pleasure… but we aren’t willing to continue to suffer under a hostile regime that isn’t showing any sign of protecting our best interests.
After all, we have the right to rule ourselves – same as the French, Germans, Japanese, Swazi’s etc. especially seeing that it is in our best interests to do so. By denying us this right, as most liberals seem to do, our human rights are grotesquely undermined and we simply won’t stand for it.
We want peace, which is why we want freedom in our own independent state. Orania is the first step towards obtaining our objective.
[...] Cosua just informed me that my Orania editorial has just been featured in Issue 5 of Posi+Tive Magazine [...]
Daniel. An insightful, well written objective article . Thank you.
As the son of an Afrikaans mother and English father who was brought up in the English culture, I can only admire a people who are prepared to stand up for their culture and language as those in Orania do. And to think that I am part of that culure.There is nothing wrong with it.
Why is it that the present government (or am I allowed to say the present regime) will support a Palestinian state separate from or incorporating parts of Israel, but when it comes to our people people taking the high road and yelling treason.
there is no doubt all of you are white and don’t get me wrong some of my friends are white hence i acquired myself the name coconut. Funny how when a black person complains about whites they are blamed of playing a race card but the same does not go for white counterparts. And as for SA being owned by whites again thats just aiming too high, we blacks are here to rule and we aint backing down. The last time i checked Orania was in South Africa and therefore belonged to the SA government and again we are busy preaching reconciliation yet some people isolate themselves. What exactly are we teaching those who come after us, that white and black will never mix, don’t you guys think we are going backwards instead? yes apartheid is part of us and will always be but i would like to narate it to my children as a thing of the past and not have to point at Orania as an exqample guys. As for black empowerment its only fair, i hate playing the victim but our parents were robbed of a better future and that affected us. I was born in a poor household thanks to apartheid and yes that did have an impact on my future and to break this cycle only things like BEE come in handy, m sure some of you still benefit from apartheid. I am not saying the Orania setup is completely wrong m just saying it shows just how some people are resistant to change and that will have a huge impact on their children’s future. for heaven’s sake can we start seeing beyond colour already
‘for heaven’s sake can we start seeing beyond colour already’ practise what you preach babe
‘things like BEE come in handy’ lol
When I stop being prosecuted for being white we can start looking beyond colour.
There are a lot of people who, when the apartheid era fell, were all willing and open to a country of equality – but over the years that willingness was dashed and abused until it no longer took any form. “Kill the boer”, no? I’ve done quite a lot of research on the issue of racism in SA – to be honest I know a lot of really AWESOME black people, but there is this shadow hanging over everything in this country.
People always need someone to blame when things in their lives go wrong…
I’ve heard people use the excuse used above “I was born into a poor household” and so I must be handed everything on a platter… riiiiight. I was born into a poor household too, but that doesn’t mean I expect everything to be handed to me on a silver platter. I guess that’s part of what makes us different, whereas I take responsibility for my actions, and WORK to succeed in this life most people find it easier to just b*tch and moan about everything that goes wrong and not actually contribute to making things right.
The majority of discussions I’ve read through always ended in a black person saying the whites MUST leave their country and that Africa belongs to the blacks. I’ve even read through a couple of discussions where black people encourage others to kill and torture white people. In all this (and I would like someone to prove me wrong) I have not once found a discussion where white people encourage others to kill and torture black people.
Please prove me wrong on that…
As for the original story, I think the idea behind Orania is a good one. Though it means isolation, the state of things in this country means there is no other way for white people to live. It would be better to live in Orania than to live in a state of constant fear in your own home.
With all the proclamations of “kill the boer” and all the rest of it, all the promises to make white people suffer… I think the idea of a white only town is valid.
Description of me: 24 year old African American woman who searched discussions of Orania after reading an online article on Orania given by Yahoo sports during the World Cup.
After I graduated from high school in 2004, I was fortunate enough to visit South Africa for 2 weeks. Being so young and not knowing much about current world events and history, I was surprised to learn of apartheid and its relative upheaval. In order to comprehend the magnitude of apartheid, I had to compare it to my history of slavery (de jure discrimination) and Jim Crow laws (de facto discrimination).
At the time, I was shocked that the world allowed this regime for so long (later, I learned a bit about politics surrounding it, at least where the US was involved, so I get it, but I feel it was wrong). During those 2 weeks, the message I recieved from the black South Africans were that they were better off, yet that there was still a ways to go for equality.
I learned about the “Rainbow Nation” et cetera. I remember thinking that I hope that they look at history particularly US history and learn how to do this thing right. Looking at this again years later, I believe that it wasn’t done right. Firstly, affirmative action in practice does not work. In theory, it would give candidates who are qualified, but without experience, opportunities (somewhat akin to awarding a position to a recent college/university graduate over someone who was working in the industry for a few years).
In practice, its about quotas, nepotism, and usually ends in revengeful attitudes. Personally, I believe that education is the best way to achieve equality rather than affirmative action. It takes much more time and resources to structure a good education system and even more to wait to see any benefits when the youth graduate and begin working. Affirmative action is at best a Band-Aid covering a hemorrage. I believe that education could close the wound.
And as for Orania, I can see why people would want to isolate themselves from the problem. Truly, I can’t condemn them for wanting safety and self preservation. Historically, isolation and avoiding the problem rarely works over time. Also, I don’t think a government will allow anyone to secede from the country, at least without a civil war. I can see some arguing that this is secession or perhaps the first step to secession.
On the other hand, Orania seems very similar to the Jim Crow laws that ruled the US after the emancipation of the slaves and before the civil rights era of the 60s. These weren’t actual laws, but more of unwritten rules. It was just the way things were. There are no written rules in Orania. It just the way things are, no blacks. In the Yahoo article, someone stated that in order to live in Orania, one must be approved by an administration board. Also that no blacks would want to live there. Although that may be true, would a black person ever be approved to live in Orania? If one could match a white to a black and they nearly identical in many demographical area including age, income, etc.
If the only difference were that one was black and the other was white, and if the white person was approved to live in Orania, would the black person?
All in all, it saddens me to hear that the majority is essentially seeking revenge for all the years that they have been discriminated against. It is human nature, but it still is sad.
If these people love the life they are living and they are not hurting anybody else then it would be a crime against the freedom loving people they are and humanity in general to take it away from them. And it warms my heart to see them doing things right, because none of us can argue that we did thing right in the past, but they truly are. I would like to see them welcome good natured Afrikaans speaking black people into their community as well though. Even if just on a trail basis. We have so much to give the other people of this land and I don’t mean charity. Afrikaner culture is a wonderful thing. It should be shared.
I dont know why everybody always have a mouth full to say about Orania and that Orania must have black people. But what about black tribal land , and the Royal bafokeng. I want to see white people living there. But it will never be allowed , so why must it be allowed in Orania ?
[...] het geen idee gehad wat om te verwag nie. Mens kan lees en lees op die internet, in koerante en tydskrifte, maar daar sal altyd soveel menings wees as wat daar [...]
When one reads through all these (above) letters, as well as the comments on other similar blogs, it is obvious – people lack knowledge and experience. But, appart from that, many people are biased.
In the first place; people are not the same. If socalled “identical” twins differ (differ in their bodies, their emotions, etc.) why shall people of total different backgrounds then be the same?!!!
The opponents of apartheid like to repeat the lie that Afrikaners wanted to whipe out all blacks, and that they indeed killed millions of blacks. If that is true, why then do we have the situation that there are approximately 50 million blacks in this country today, while therte are only 3 million Afrikaners, less than 2 million English speaking whites, 4 million coloured people, and 2 million Indians?
When the first whites arrived in 1652, the biggest part of the country was empty. Small groups of blacks resided in the northern and eastern parts of the country, while even smaller groups of brown peoples were found in the western and southern parts of the country.
To say the whites have killed millions of blacks, is absurd. From 1948 (when Afrikaners for the first time in history ruled over the entire country) till 1994 (that is a period of 46 years) only about 900 blacks died at the hands of whites (and that was mainly in clashes with the riot police). In the very short period of 18 years (1994 till 2012), more than 50 000 whites (mainly Afrikaners) were killed by blacks. Of that number of 50 000, more than 4 000 were farmers (read: food producers). Is it then strange, and is it then wrong, for Afrikaners to try and separate themselves from other race groups in South Africa?
What happened in other Western countries, especially English speaking countries? In New Zealand many locals (Maori’s) were whiped out; in Australia many Aboriginals were whiped out; in Canada and the USA many Indians were whiped out. The same cannot be said about South Africa – we protected the lives of our country’s blacks. The white government of 1948 – 1994 took a lot of our (the handfull of whites’s) tax money to built schools and hospitals for the blacks. If it wasn’t for those white doctors over a period of 46 years, then millions of blacks would have died of deseases. If it wasn’t for those 80 000 white farmers, then millions of blacks would have died of hunger. Now there are only 17 000 of that 80 000 white farmers on South African farms. Most of the farms given to black farmers, are neglected and non-productive today.
After all this, the white people (especially the Afrikaners) are blamed for everything that is wrong in this country.
One thousand years after those 3 million Afrikaners have left the continent, or have being killed by the blacks, apartheid and the Afrikaners will still be blamed for everything that is wrong in this country. Mark my words!
A Piet Boer, have you tried moving to Mahikeng, I know of white people who stays @ skwatta Camps and they aint treated differently from the blacks majority staying there. The problem with South Africans Black and White all you people is complain, maybe you should try to go stay @ the townships and tell me if you get treated differently, then we can talk again. I thought we were a rainbow nation but Orania is a prove that Afrikaaners hate blacks and unity, they want no contact with them. Really having their own currency???? this is a total joke and insult to the democratic Afrika borwa.
@Maropeng, is it so wrong to have a place where you are surrounded by your own people, with your own culture where you can speak your own language? You already run the country? Why can’t we have our own little place out of your way where you don’t bother us with your multicultural views on everything from religion to politics etc. There is so little of us left and you want to take that away by making us conform to your ideals? Seriously? Those people worked hard for what they have today, and if they don’t want to share it with you it’s their choice. Who are you to judge them. It’s not like you have a day pass or have your freedoms taken away. So please if you can’t say something positive rather not say anything at all. And this is coming from someone that has grown up post apartheid, from a poor family that couldn’t go and study because there was no money and I couldn’t get a bursary because I didn’t have the right skin color. And yes I am 100% Pure Afrikaner. Do I blame the government for how things is, no. They can’t help it if they aren’t mature and educated enough to run a country that was fully functional when it was handed over to them. But wouldn’t you say it is time to hand it over to the newer generation that had the proper education, and let the past stay in the past? I say we need a new, smarter and more rational political party, that inspires communities to help themselves, rather than get help from the government. A Goverment that spends money on free education for everyone, and educates people to a higher standard than what the current education can give you. I am not talking about brainwashing the poor masses and giving them free food and T-shirts for votes. A Government that has less people that do more work, and actually spends the money on the people and not on themselves. (Why do all the ANC officials drive fancy cars and live in big houses?) How does it help all the uneducated masses? Why couldn’t they spend those salaries on developing and improving the infrastructure instead? Why waste money on stupid things like changing street names? Rather spend that money on developing affordable internet so everybody can educate themselves. But then again, that is just my perception on the government. Who am I to say that the ANC should have died out after Mandela? Maybe you like suffering and watching us suffer? Maybe you hate us so much that you don’t want us to succeed. Well guess what! We belong here, get used to it! Open your eyes and see who your true enemies are.
I believe people who are living in Orania are the moaners who wants to dwell in the past and do not want to be part of solution for a problem they have created, They hide behind the “preserving Afrikaner culture” term which has nothing to do with object and just their hatred for black people, the government must let stay there because they dont wnt to be part of the solution anyway!!
The only thing worse than forced segregation is forced integration. and i dont believe i will change sex if a frog bites me, and i dont believe in the tokoloshe, and i certainly dont believe that i can pay a Sangoma to stike my enemies dead with bolt of lighting and i have never considered selling my Daughter for 11 cows! and my people have actually invented a few things too.
so now that you have a little insight into just how far apart we are, leave us alone to live the lives we chose and you carry on raping and pillaging the country and we will pick up the pieces when you have all killed and eaten each other and everything else.
Article and comments – GREAT READ!!
If you think apartheid was gross then don’t even look at the new SA were discrimination of whites only is legislated and they call is BEE. But ignore that and see what this Nigerian gentleman has to say.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
South African experience
SIR: On Thursday October 1, 2009, the National Chairman of our great party Chief Bisi Akande; the Lagos State Chairman of the Party in Lagos, Chief Dele Ajomale; his wife; the representative of the Governor and my humble self left for South Africa to inaugurate the chapter of our party. Business finished on Saturday October 2 and 3, 2009 in both Pretoria and Johannesburg. We had Sunday October 4 to look around. It was my first visit to South Africa and what I saw stunned me.
Am I in Africa or Europe? Am I in America? Is this another Singapore? Could this be true? Where was Nigeria when South Africa was putting all these structures in place? If the white man did all these in South Africa why were the Nelson Mandelas of this world complaining? If South Africans got their independence on a platter of gold the way Nigeria got hers in 1960, would there have been all these structures I am seeing here today? Impossible! From what I saw on ground in South Africa, it looked as if all the companies and industries all over the world are physically present there. Ah! Nigeria has been left behind. South Africa is the potential and undisputable leader in Africa. Thanks to the white South Africans.
I came to the unhappy conclusion that the mosquitoes that drove the whites away from Nigeria in 1960 did a colossal and unmitigated damage to Nigerians. I again asked myself these questions: How many black Africans did the whites kill before surrendering power to them? How many Nigerians have been killed by Nigerian leaders since they took over power from the whites in 1960? Let us compare the figures. I am sure the supreme prize South Africans paid to have the South Africa I see today will be so infinitesimal compared with what our leaders have killed to remain in power in Nigeria.
What I am saying is that God should have allowed the whites to tarry for at least more 30 years in Nigeria and we would have been better for it. Mandela survived 27 years in prison because the whiteman was a better person. He could not have survived 10 years in prison in Nigeria.
My conclusion after seeing what I saw in South Africa is that the whites left Nigeria in a hurry, and that is why we are suffering today. Had the whites tarried in Nigeria, Nigeria would have been like South Africa today. I want the whites back in Nigeria!
Joe Igbokwe,
Lagos.
Guardian Newspapers Limited
Lmao!!! I wana go live at Orania, i love Afrikaans, i love Sotho, i love everyone. God have mercy on us.