Afrikaners 'embracing Africa'
2005-05-18 08:42
Johannesburg - "There are signs that Afrikaners embrace the new South Africa and Africanism more easily and readily than English-speaking white people."
Thus reads an ANC discussion document for the party's national general meeting, which will be attended by about 3 000 delegates in June in Pretoria.
Party branches are thrashing out this document on, for example, economic development and nation building, before it will be discussed at the highest level in June.
"We must not regard the white group as monolithic," states the document on nation building. "It is becoming increasingly clear that white Afrikaners' emotional, psychological and material relationship with Africa and South Africa differs from those of other white people."
The ANC also thinks "Afrikaners ask the valid question about how many years they still have to live here before they can be called Africans".
At a media conference on the document, Smuts Ngonyama, ANC spokesperson, said the country had already achieved much in the struggle against racism and ethnicity, but that here and elsewhere in the world, it remained a challenge.
The discussion document suggests that ethnic conflict in the Balkans and Rwanda hold important lessons for South Africa.
"We dare not ignore the national question - It is important for a country's stability and for peace, growth and development."
The national question refers to the liberation and empowerment of black South Africans and attempts to create a non-racist, non-sexist, democratic and united country.
According to the ANC there are signs of a united patriotism, such as the "sincere joy" when South Africa won the soccer bid. Furthermore, racial politics are beginning to decrease as a "significant number of white people, including Afrikaners", voted for the ANC.
Still a white man's world
"But the progress is inadequate and limited", states the document. "In many respects it is still a white man's world. Economic apartheid lives on."
Although good progress is being made with black economic empowerment, the economy is still largely owned and controlled by white men.
This inequality does only apply to the private sector, however. "White people go to better government schools than Africans, white people get better police services, etc, and own most of the land."
According to the document, the majority of white people and Africans live in different worlds. "Racial and ethnic prejudices live on."
Tribal disputes also needed attention. The IFP is accused of stirring tribal disputes and the ANC is concerned that the tribal connection is sometimes also being used in its own ranks.
The party thinks the national question should be analysed and the "actual material upliftment of Africans" is a priority.