For many South Africans, the role of the Afrikaner minority in the convention and subsequent multi-party negotiating forum for a democratic South Africa was first identified with the Afrikaner Wehrstandsbeweging (AWB)'s Kempton Park World Trade Agreement in 1993. It is best remembered for the attack on the center.
However, there were others who negotiated vigorously for the rights of the country's minority groups.
Negotiations for minority rights in a new democratic system were overshadowed by external resistance when the AWB stormed the Kempton Park World Trade Center.
In the hallway, young Peter Mulder, a representative of Constand Villeen's National Front, was working until the early hours of the morning trying to find a way to peacefully transition power that would include Afrikaners.
Mr Mulder said he felt their efforts were wasted when the principle of sufficient consent was introduced.
“We came here just to take one last picture, because this sufficient agreement that they brought in means the agreement of these 27 parties. If the ANC and the NP agree Then they say there's enough agreement and they go on, “So what are we doing here?'' You're wasting my time. I would like you to include me in the photo to increase credibility. Volksfront, Buthelezi, Mangope and Chiske withdrew and said they would negotiate with the ANC on their own, and we complied. ”
Mulder, who later became the leader of Freedom Front Plus, believed that a peaceful transition of power was possible.
“I didn’t buy the canned food in the first place because I knew about the ANC. I disagreed with them and I still disagree with them, but I think it’s important to note that destabilizing the country is something that they themselves do not want to do. We knew it wasn't in our best interests, but many people didn't believe this.”
But Mulder explains that he regrets that some of the decisions that were made to bring us to a democratic system have fallen by the wayside.
“Part of this period was reconciliation, so part of the national anthem is Sikelel and part Sikelel. Immediately after 1994, Bloemfontein had Jan Smuts Lugave and JBM Herzog Lugave. But the ANC said it didn't like those names and decided not to change the names to specific people. became Gariep. I thought this was a good way to manage the settlement, but eventually we went back, the agreement was broken and Jan Smuts became OR Tambo.
At the other end of the spectrum is Karl Niehaus, a young ANC negotiator who now believes CODESA has brought about little change.
“Empowering the majority of South Africans, especially blacks and Africans, and as a result we ended up with a negotiation process that failed to empower all South Africans, the so-called minority groups. The group would benefit even more from collective empowerment and the full support and uplift of the black and Afro-South African majority, including those who call themselves Afrikaners and Afrikaans speakers. I would have accepted it.”
But what do they believe the future holds for Afrikaners?
Niehaus and Mulder weigh in.
“I worry that too many Afrikaners still remain stuck in the past and continue to define themselves first as Afrikaners and secondly as South Africans. They would have benefited greatly from reaching out to South Africans and becoming part of the South African nation, talking about political parties like Freedom Front Plus and the exclusive rights and minority rights of Afrikaner people. I'm concerned that those who continue are doing great harm to the Afrikaner community,” Niehaus said.
“I want to be myself in South Africa, and I don't think that's an overstatement. I want my own church, and if these things are in place, we can do our part to make South Africa better. There is great energy to improve things, but if you threaten these things, as is happening now, I will protect myself by doing my own thing first and not worry about others because I need to survive. I don't have any energy left.'' Mulder.
AWB still maintains an office in Ventersdorp.
He did not respond to requests for comment.
