Press Releases Archives - Solidariteit Beweging

The ANC must stop its ongoing disinformation now

Posted on March 28, 2025March 28, 2025 by anneke

The ongoing false allegations that Solidarity and AfriForum are spreading misinformation abroad are nothing but disinformation and an attempt to make us the scapegoat for the ANC’s mistakes.

The time has come for the ANC to accept responsibility for the diplomatic crisis with the US the country has been plunged into due to the party’s reckless policies, and the ANC must stop blaming Solidarity and AfriForum for it.

Should the US kick South Africa out of the AGOA agreement, the blame must be laid squarely at the door of the Ramaphosa government. Solidarity and AfriForum’s attempts over many years, and by using authoritative research to convince the US to retain South Africa as an AGOA beneficiary are being sabotaged time and again by the ANC’s own policies and actions.

Genocide and sanctions

We want to make it clear that we have never made allegations of a “genocide” of white people in South Africa. We have not called for sanctions against South Africa. We have not requested that any funds to South Africa be cut off by the US. We have explicitly asked that South Africa not be kicked out of AGOA because it would cost thousands of South Africans their jobs. As patriotic South-Africans, we have called on the US not to punish the people of South Africa when the Trump administration is angry with the ANC.

We are positive South African patriots who love the country and its people, even if we do not agree with the ANC’s policies and actions. Although we warned about the dangers of the Expropriation Act, we have not presented allegations to the US government that large-scale expropriation without compensation is taking place in South Africa.

Last year, the Solidarity Movement was part of a group of approximately two million Afrikaners who supported a declaration in which we emphasised our loyalty to the country and its people, at the same time making suggestions about the conditions Afrikaners need to remain in the country in order to make a lasting contribution towards South Africa. The ANC ignored these constructive suggestions.

South African solutions

We reject the ANC’s hypocritical statements that we should solve our problems internally in South Africa rather than to complain about them abroad. The ANC has clearly demonstrated with the BELA negotiations that they are not prepared to respect the constitutional provision for Afrikaans education Their refusal to find solutions in good faith to fundamental issues that profoundly affect our language and culture leaves us with no choice but to internationalise our cause.

We do not ask anyone’s permission to defend our fundamental human rights and legitimate interests because the ANC has proven time and again that these rights and interests cannot be entrusted to them.

We will continue to do so in a factual and balanced manner so as not to cause harm to the country, unlike the ANC that continues to mismanage the country, continues to allow corruption to flourish and continues to further exacerbate unemployment in the country.

Serious consequences for ordinary South Africans if US downsizes its embassy and closes consulates

Posted on March 26, 2025 by anneke

Source: Solidarity

Even more extensive economic and diplomatic damage, further job losses, an exodus of investors and obstacles being experienced with the issuing of essential trade permits and travel visas – all of this Solidarity believes to count among the possible consequences the downsizing of the US embassy in Pretoria, as well as the possible closure of the US consulate in Johannesburg could have for South Africans.

These realities loom as a result of the South African government’s disintegrating relationship with the United States of America. This diplomatic crisis could result in a dramatic scaling down of the extent of the American diplomatic mission in South Africa.

A dispute over South Africa’s official policy positions triggered a diplomatic crisis between the countries, and this is currently being exacerbated by the Johannesburg Metro Council’s bid to rename the street in which the US consulate is located in Sandton after a Palestinian freedom fighter.
There is a risk that the US may want to close its Johannesburg consulate, while the remaining consulates in Cape Town and Durban could also be in question.

Solidarity believes a further diplomatic miscalculation, as would be the case with the street name change currently being considered by the Metro Council, will further damage an already fragile relationship.
According to the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI), the closure of the Johannesburg consulate alone would be a significant blow, as Johannesburg is South Africa’s economic capital and is also home to several US and multinational companies in the country.

The SRI believes the closure will, among other things:
•   Complicate the process for South African travellers seeking to obtain visas;
•   Obstruct the process South African businesspersons have to follow to obtain visas and for businesses needing essential trade permits and documentation;
•   Harm investor confidence as the closure is a sign of a further disintegration of diplomatic relations;
•   Cause job losses for South Africans as major US companies may terminate or reconsider their presence in South Africa;
•   Cause hotels, restaurants and service providers that depend on consular visitors to lose income, leading to further job losses; and
•   Limit US contributions made through the consulate towards valuable intelligence on transnational crime, money laundering and terrorism, reducing South Africa’s resistance to organised crime.

According to Jaco Kleynhans, head of public liaison at Solidarity, far more serious consequences than the closure of a consulate may follow if radical government officials persist in an ideological struggle against the US.
“It is in no South African’s interest to be exposed to the risk of further economic decline and international isolation for the sake of ANC policies and agendas.
“This is what the downsizing of the US mission and the closure of a consulate would bring about.
“Also keep in mind that American companies, many of which have offices in Johannesburg, some of them located close to the consulate in Sandton, employ thousands of South Africans. Moreover, they contribute billions of rand in taxes to the Treasury.
“Unfortunately, it seems that our government is going to persist with its anti-Western narrative and is therefore comfortable with ordinary South Africans being punished for the government’s sins,” Kleynhans cautioned.

South Africa’s relationship with the Trump administration is currently experiencing an unprecedented low.
The relationship has suffered further setbacks in recent weeks due to the offensive statements made towards the US by the former South African ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool, and insults from ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula.
The US has also taken note of the Ramaphosa government’s silence on the EFF Party’s singing of the struggle song “Kill the Boer” on Human Rights Day.

Ten historical reasons to stay in South Africa

Posted on March 25, 2025 by anneke

Flip Buys

Source: Maroela Media

United States President Donald Trump caused a stir this month with his executive order, which among other things, allows Afrikaners who are prejudiced by racial laws or expropriation without compensation to seek refuge in America.

The fact that the ANC is throwing everything but the kitchen sink in its attempt to govern alone instead of through a government of national unity has now completely alienated the new government in Washington. This is why the Solidarity Movement will now accept the hand of friendship extended by the Americans and offer practical suggestions on how Afrikaners can be helped to live sustainably in Africa, so that we can make a lasting contribution to the well-being of the country and all its people.

We cannot allow a corrupt, incompetent and racist government to drive us out of the country. That is not who we are. We are determined, in the words of Afrikaans writer and scholar NP van Wyk Louw, to carry the treasure of our language and culture safely through the crowd. After all, we did not cross the oceans, survive through centuries, venture into the unknown, stand up to great powers on the battlefield and produce world-class achievements because we are made of jelly.

Here are 10 historical reasons why we will stay and why we will do things ourselves.

We became Afrikaners in Africa

The first Buys in South Africa was a German soldier who sailed from Amsterdam on the Risdam in 1714 to work for the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Like most other Afrikaner families, the Buys family has therefore been in Africa for more than three centuries. We did not come to Africa as Afrikaners. We became Afrikaners here, long before the birth of South Africa as a country. Our language and culture are indigenous to Africa, and nowhere else. We named ourselves, our language and many of our institutions after Africa.

Afrikaners are a self-defined cultural community – a people – and not simply a language group or a racial grouping. Through Afrikaans, we also have a linguistic bond with coloured South Africans, as Afrikaans is one language with many cultures. We come from a Christian Western tradition, and most of us trust in God’s promises of hope for the future.

We are Westerners in and from Africa

NP van Wyk Louw put it strikingly: “In every generation, the task is to keep both our heritages – European and African – close to the heart; to be in Africa, knowing that we are from the old West; to be Western, without disregarding a single difference from Africa” (author’s own translation).

Van Wyk Louw also spoke so beautifully about Afrikaans: “Afrikaans can remain vital only as long as it remains the carrier of our full destiny, of our knowledge-to-both-sides; as long as it continues to think concretely and abstractly; as long as Europe and Africa live in it; Africa indeed, yet also always Europe.”

He saw Afrikaans as the language that connects Western Europe and Africa: “It forms a bridge between the great bright West and the magical Africa, and what great things can arise from their union – this is perhaps what lies ahead for Afrikaans to be discovered.”

The People’s Poet Totius expressed it just as beautifully: “A fine mystical bond of union connects Orange, the Netherlands and Africa throughout everything. No matter how far the waves wash us, the deep heart will always feel – we are secretly one.”

Rather barefoot over the mountains …

After the British had annexed Natal and the Boer Republic of Vryheid in 1843, the Voortrekkers moved again. In the famous words of Johanna Smit to the British representative: “We would rather walk barefoot over the Drakensberg than suffer under British rule any longer.”

The pursuit of freedom as the driving force behind the Great Trek was articulated by Great Trek leaders such as Andries Pretorius, who stated that they left their birthplace not in revolt but in pursuit of freedom. The Dutch thinker Bob Goudzwaard, after studying the history of the Afrikaners, argued that their story was a struggle for survival more than for domination. I find it inconceivable that the sacrifices of our ancestors would be in vain if we were to turn our back on our history.

Collaboration with other communities

It is true that there were many battles and conflicts with indigenous black tribes. However, this is not the full story; there were also numerous peace agreements and instances of collaboration with black groups.

A good description of this is found in the Voortrekker leader Hendrik Potgieter’s report of 3 December 1838 sent to the Governor of the Cape after the Great Trek: “First, we encountered Captain Danser and concluded a peace treaty with him; secondly, King Maroka, with whom we also concluded a peace treaty; thirdly, Captain Pieter Davieds, with whom we likewise concluded a peace treaty; fourthly, King Sikonyela, with whom we also concluded a peace treaty; fifthly Captain Makwana, with whom we also concluded a peace treaty” (a free translation of the original Dutch text).

Churchill on Boer fighters

The most striking description of the Boer fighters was given by the famous statesman Winston Churchill, who came to fight against us as a journalist.

What men they were, these Boers! I thought of them as I had seen them in the morning riding forward through the rain – thousands of independent riflemen, thinking for themselves, possessed of beautiful weapons, led with skill, living as they rode without commissariat or transport or ammunition column, moving like the wind, and supported by iron constitutions and a stern, hard Old Testament God who should surely smite the Amalekites hip and thigh.

Defeated and dejected

The British scorched earth policy and the concentration camps were devastating. My one grandfather and one grandmother were child survivors of the camps, while my other great-grandfather was imprisoned, and his house was arsoned after he had smuggled horses for the Free State Boers as a colonial subject. Prof. David Welsh described the condition of Afrikaners after the Anglo-Boer War as follows:

After 1902 the Afrikaners of the defeated Trekker republics displayed many of the symptoms of a conquered people: impoverished, defeated, despairing, low in morale, and with a powerfully internalised inferiority complex. They were facing the possible obliteration of their identity by the overwhelming power of their conqueror’s institutions and culture.

The recovery after the war was extremely difficult, and historian Dan O’Meara could have been describing my mineworker grandfather when he outlined their struggle until 1948:

The structure of South African capitalism offered few opportunities to those whose home language was Afrikaans. Its language was English, and Afrikaans-speakers were powerfully discriminated against. Promotion and advancement required both proficiency in a foreign language – that of a conqueror – and virtual total acceptance of the structure and values dominant in the economy.

A fiery Cold War

The Cold War was raging in South Africa, with the ANC squarely in the Communist camp. This put the South African Defence Force in direct conflict with the former Soviet Union and Red China that had armed and supported the liberation movements in Southern Africa.

The Cold War froze whatever political manoeuvring space there had been, and the South African Defence Force and South African Police were tasked with preventing a violent revolutionary takeover until the collapse of the Eastern Bloc made negotiations possible. Western powers, particularly the immense pressure from the USA on the NP government, played a major role in the eventual constitutional settlement.

Africa after independence

Understandably, Afrikaners were also very sceptical about the prospects of a successful democracy in South Africa, given the outcomes that Western models had led to in Africa. Martin Meredith sums it up aptly in his book The Fortunes of Africa:

The succession of coups in Africa swept on so rapidly that many episodes passed by in little more than a blur. In the first two decades of independence, there were some forty successful coups and countless attempted coups. Not once was there an occasion when an African government was peacefully voted out of office.

A movement founded

The origins of the Solidarity Movement can be traced back to the 1998 congress of the then Mine Workers’ Union, where the trade union’s national council accepted my proposal to transform the MWU into a modern self-help movement.

The reason for this was twofold: we did not believe that the ANC could successfully govern the country, and we believed that they would create a new racial dispensation that would effectively turn Afrikaners into second-class citizens.

The aim of the Movement was to build the cultural infrastructure that Afrikaners would need to remain sustainably free, safe and prosperous in southern Africa. In so doing, Afrikaners would at the same time be able to make a lasting contribution to the well-being of the country and all its people. Our assumption at the time – that we would initially be denounced as radicals but would gradually gain more support as the outcomes of ANC policy became visible – has been realised in practice.

In the 1990s, the country had to change to prevent a terrible end. The task of our movement now is to help prevent an endless horror.

Foreign support

For years after 1994, it was impossible to gain support for Afrikaners’ legitimate aspirations for cultural autonomy because the ANC had taken the moral high ground, and the consequences of their policies were not yet clear to the outside world.

The ANC’s rotten track record of governance, leading to widespread state failure, along with the ongoing centralisation of power and the accompanying curtailment of freedoms, gave new meaning to Prof. Welsh’s warning about a “tyranny of the majority”.

Welsh stated:

Simple majority rule … can easily – and commonly does – degenerate into a “tyranny of the majority” when elections assume the form of a racial census. Undeniably, majorities have rights, but so do minorities. If […] majorities use their power to steamroller minorities, denying them influence even in decisions that affect their vital interests, the quality of democracy will deteriorate.

Moreover, the comparative evidence from divided societies does not offer much support for the view that the salience of ethnic or racial identities will eventually give way to voting alignments that are shaped more by, say, class, interests or ideology. Democratic constitutional forms have been maintained, but a single-party dominant system become entrenched.

Thirty observations about the visit to the USA

Posted on March 18, 2025 by anneke

Dirk Hermann

Source: Maroela Media

Major change is currently taking place in the world, and South Africa is not isolated from this.

President Trump’s executive order has placed Afrikaners at the centre of this debate, shining a bright light on South Africa’s domestic and international policy. The Solidarity Movement, of which AfriForum and Solidarity form part, has sent a delegation to America to actively participate in the debate.

However, the South African government remains absent in this debate. The government’s reaction is limited to loud accusations levelled against the Solidarity Movement. The eventual impact of the Solidarity Movement’s visit remains to be determined, but here are 30 observations I have made during the visit:

The relationship between South Africa and the USA is not a mere misunderstanding that needs to be explained but is a diplomatic crisis. This crisis is set against the larger geopolitical restructuring that is taking place all over the world.
The dissatisfaction with, even anger over the ANC’s policies, is clear, especially because of the government’s love affair with Hamas, Iran, China and Russia.
South Africa’s breach of neutrality by bringing a court case against Israel without having any direct interest in the conflict, was an important catalyst. South Africa has become a symbol of anti-Western sentiment and is seen as a threat to America’s national interests.
This diplomatic crisis does not arise from a single event only, such as the Expropriation Act, but is the result of a long series of reckless domestic and foreign policy decisions by the ANC, which has caused tension spanning across several US administrations.
The absence of the South African government was conspicuous and is indicative of an implosion of diplomatic ability.
There is a renewed self-confidence in the USA and the West, which could even be described as a revolution. Any ally of the USA must take this new reality into account, something that South Africa is apparently not doing.
The USA remains South Africa’s second largest trade partner. For South Africa this is of great advantage, but it is of lesser importance to America. South Africa is also dependent on aid which other allies do not give. This puts South Africa in a position where the country should be more humble.
South Africa runs a real risk of being kicked out of AGOA. AGOA is a US law that offers trade tariff benefits to African countries. If South Africa forfeits its AGOA participation, the ANC will have to bear full responsibility for it. This could lead to the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs.
The ANC’s policies betray the country and its people. They create an environment of increased unemployment, but the government is ideologically blinded and trapped in a failed and outdated worldview.
It was never mentioned in any of the discussions that the current diplomatic crisis was due to false information spread by AfriForum and Solidarity. Its cause lies with the ANC’s policy. Rather, there was appreciation for the comprehensive information we provided.
It is an insult to US diplomatic and intelligence agencies to claim that that they base their policy on false information.
The only false information is the allegation that the Solidarity Movement is spreading falsehoods. No one has yet been able to prove such claims. Our information is accurate and transparent. The world needs to know the truth, rather than politically correct information seen through the lenses of the ANC.
Ironically, in the absence of the South African government the Solidarity Movement has stood up for the country’s interests by calling for continued participation in AGOA.
We acted specifically on behalf of our members in the agricultural, mining, metal and engineering industries, as well as in the chemical and automotive manufacturing sectors. They should not be further disadvantaged as a result of ANC policies.
The government’s poor diplomatic handling of the matter is exposing the country. They have burnt bridges, and they show no insight or intention to restore relations. There is an exaggerated self-confidence.
The South African government will struggle to pay a meaningful visit to the US. Their arrogant handling of affairs in recent weeks has hardened relations. Americans read what the President’s spokesperson and others are saying.
The ANC’s attacks on and threats against the Solidarity Movement, including accusations of high treason, were not received well in the US and have weakened the ANC’s positions, while strengthening ours.
South Africa will have to take concrete steps to restore diplomatic relations. Mere explanations or sending large delegations there will not help.
The Solidarity Movement has been received with open arms by the White House, the Congress, the US Department of State and by various other key institutions. We could present our research and facts clearly.
Continued pressure must be brought to bear on the South African government for policy changes that will benefit the entire country.
Expropriation without compensation and racial laws are two of the issues Americans are particularly concerned about. Despite the ideological blindness, South Africa will have to rethink these issues. We will help bring about change through pressure and litigation.
South Africa must realise the world has changed. The ANC’s socialist ideology, attacks on property rights and racial laws are no longer acceptable.
President Trump’s executive order has fixed the world’s eyes on South Africa. The ANC can no longer rely on Nelson Mandela’s legacy or Western guilt. They are now being judged on what they say and do.
Afrikaners also find themselves in the spotlight again, this time not as the skunk, but as a community with an internationally recognised cause. Through research we have shown how the ANC has broken the 1994 Accord.
We gave a clear explanation of the existential threat that laws such as BELA pose to Afrikaners, and it was met with insight.
The Solidarity Movement could intercede with confidence on behalf of Afrikaners, asking for recognition of and support for the establishment of cultural infrastructure. We could also put federalism and population concentration on the table.
There is still uncertainty about refugee status. It seems that a resettlement programme is being considered for people who are victims of serious violent crime as a result of race or group identity. No one who wants to take up the offer should be deterred from doing so.
The executive order and new realignments in the world offer a unique opportunity to Afrikaners. The Trump administration creates a favourable climate, but Afrikaners must take up the responsibility themselves and use these opportunities.
We are now in a stronger position than before the executive order. We now have open communication channels and have valuable contacts. The appointment of the new US ambassador to South Africa will be important for our future relationship.
We must continue to build, protect and fight. We live in a new era that offers great opportunities for us as a Western community in Africa.

US anger over SA’s foreign policy could cost thousands their jobs

Posted on February 27, 2025 by anneke

There is growing anger in the US government over South Africa’s foreign policy. This is going to cost South Africa dearly, and tens of thousands of people who will lose their jobs will pay the price for the government’s reckless policies.

This is the reaction of the Solidarity Movement, of which AfriForum and Solidarity are part, after discussions yesterday with senior members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the House of Representatives and the Senate in the USA. This follows discussions held earlier in the week with senior members of the Trump administration in the White House.

Flip Buys, chairperson of the Solidarity Movement, says that over the years, the ANC government has alienated the world’s largest economy which could have an enormous impact on South Africa.

“It seems that the South African government does not realise the seriousness of the situation. They are looking for scapegoats, believing that the current situation is just a diplomatic misunderstanding. In reality, this is a diplomatic crisis, but the ANC insists that they will not be bullied.
“The levels of frustration in the USA are so high that a bill is being considered to review the bilateral relations between the USA and South Africa,” says Buys.

This draft bill was already approved by the House of Representatives in 2024 but not taken up by the Senate. Given the rapidly changing relationship between South Africa and the US, members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs are currently considering re-submitting the law to the House of Representatives.

Since Republicans now also control the Senate, the law will have a better chance of acceptance. Given the critical stance that the White House and members of the Trump administration have taken towards South Africa, the climate for new legislation on the US relationship with South Africa is even better now.

This bill details South Africa’s historic ties with the terrorist group Hamas, and with countries such as China, Iran and Russia, and argues that South Africa has abandoned its policy of neutrality.
Furthermore, the bill also addresses South Africa’s flawed domestic policy, the government’s inability to govern the country and its laxity towards corruption.

A comprehensive review of the bilateral relations between the USA and South Africa is proposed in the bill.
If this bill is passed, it would be solely the fault of the government, and specifically the ANC. This situation has been building up over many years and the recent passing of the Expropriation Act was merely the trigger.

This bill could have disastrous consequences for South Africa’s participation in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) – a law offering tariff relief to African countries.
Currently, AGOA and trade with the USA create jobs for approximately 500 000 South Africans.

The Solidarity Movement has proposed that, instead of punishing ordinary South Africans, the focus should rather be on sanctions against corrupt individuals and pressure on ANC leaders.

“The South African government is conspicuous by its absence in the USA. Its diplomatic abilities seem to have collapsed.
The Solidarity Movement cannot and does not want to act on behalf of the government, but we believe our call for intensified political pressure to bring about policy change is for the benefit of all South Africans,” says Buys.

Furthermore, the Solidarity Movement has requested members of the Senate and the House of Representatives to recommend to the American President that South Africa remain a member of AGOA.
However, there is also a request to sustain the political pressure on Sout Africa to bring about a policy change.

See the draft bill here.

Diplomatic differences between the USA and SA run deeper than a ‘misunderstanding’

Posted on February 25, 2025February 26, 2025 by anneke

A delegation of the Solidarity Movement, AfriForum and Solidarity today met with senior representatives of the Trump administration at the White House in Washington DC.

This delegation is currently meeting with senior government officials in the USA, and will, among other things ask that pressure be intensified on ANC leaders for policy change rather than suspending South Africa’s participation in AGOA.

The Solidarity Movement’s delegation to the White House was led by the chairperson of the Solidarity Movement Flip Buys, and included Kallie Kriel, AfriForum chief executive, Dr Dirk Hermann, Solidarity chief executive and Jaco Kleynhans, head of international liaison at the Solidarity Movement.

According to Flip Buys, chairperson of the Solidarity Movement, the South African government’s lack of urgency to restore diplomatic relations with the USA is creating a growing crisis for South Africa.
Buys pointed out that the jobs of more than half a million workers with about 2 million dependents depend directly on South Africa’s participation in AGOA, and for this reason the Solidarity Movement feels so strongly that the US should not kick the country out of AGOA in September.

A research report on the importance of AGOA for ordinary South Africans was handed to senior government officials in Washington. The Movement also requested that humanitarian aid to South Africa, such as the PEPFAR programme not be stopped as this could harm vulnerable people in South Africa.

For this reason, we urge the US not to punish South Africa as a country if it has diplomatic differences with the SA government but to rather pressure ANC leaders to right what is wrong. We cannot allow it that ordinary South Africans suffer even more as a result of the mistakes of the ANC.

The Solidarity Movement’s task to act on behalf of ordinary South Africans is greatly impeded by the South African government’s persistent view that the diplomatic dispute is simply due to misunderstandings, and that they do not plan any policy changes despite the multiple crises the ANC-led government policies have landed the country in.

Our feedback from senior US government leaders is that the diplomatic disputes with South Africa have profound causes and are far more profound than being just a communication gap or “disinformation” as the SA government is claiming it to be.

The delegation of the Solidarity Movement also expressed its serious concerns about the consequences of the new Expropriation Act, racial laws, calls for violence against Afrikaners and attacks on Afrikaans schools such as the passing of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act (BELA).

The delegation also pointed out that they recognise and respect South Africa’s sovereignty, but that the government cannot hide behind it when the human rights of a minority group are being disregarded or threatened by laws such as the BELA education legislation, the discriminatory racial dispensation or the Expropriation Act.

It is necessary that these matters be raised abroad because the government has shown by the BELA talks, its continued refusal to amend racial laws, and the signing of the Expropriation Act without consulting its GNU partners that they have shut the door to talks in good faith in South Africa.

The memorandum that was handed to the Trump administration is attached hereto.

Akademia: A torchbearer for the Afrikaans university system

Posted on February 11, 2025February 11, 2025 by anneke

Successful and resilient language and cultural communities are characterized by healthy, stable and flourishing education and career training. As far as the Afrikaans language and cultural communities are concerned, Akademia proudly carries the torch for the Afrikaans university system. As independent higher education institution from the Christian and classical university tradition, this institution unequivocally celebrates its calling as mother language study home and vocationally-driven there is being worked toward a free future.

Akademia: A hopeful alternative for Afrikaans speakers

Prof. Danie Goosen, academic head at Akademia, says that the institution represents a hopeful alternative for Afrikaans speakers within the South African university system. This vocation-driven right of existence is of great importance in a time where Afrikaans as primary language of instruction at public universities are dwindling or simply discarded. As community institution Akademia’s mission is to serve the academic ideals of a specific language and cultural community and to provide an academic home where both the mind and heart are shaped. According to Marthinus Visser, managing director of the institution, Akademia strives to offer more than world-class training. The institution is also associated to the classical role of the university system – to bring students to an intellectual, emotional and philosophical maturity. “Akademia continuously works in faith, hope and love to be of service to the community in this manner. In this way we establish a renewed Afrikaans university system,” Visser explains.

From a humble beginning to a significant role player.

Since 2012 the institution offers various study options to students and developed quickly to a preferred Afrikaans study home. Except for five dynamic faculties, students also has the opportunity tot study via the full-time campus model or the after-hours distance model. The former is presented at the institution’s campusses in Centurion, and soon also in the Paarl, whilst the second option equips students from all over the country to complete their studies via the network of centres or the e-learning option. The latter also offers Afrikaans speakers from outside of South Africa the opportunity to study in their mother language. Akademia’s international footprint include countries such as Australia, Namibia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Sweden, Thailand, the United Emirates and the United States of America.

Thirteen years of growth

This year the institution looks back on thirteen years of presenting classes and according to Visser there will be purposefully be built on the positive momentum that was unlocked in the preceding years. According to Visser, this momentum gives more power to the institution’s mission statement as community institution. “Akademia has, over the course of its existence, already taken several major and significant steps, and meticulous work has been done to achieve goals in various areas. Whether it was the expansion of our academic programme offerings, the establishment of new student life traditions, geographical expansion opportunities, or the growth of staff and student numbers, the standard has been set high, and the foundation has been laid for an even greater impact,” Visser explains. From the registration of Akademia as an independent higher education institution on 3 January 2012 and with student numbers of 42 students over five programmes the institution has grown to about 3 800 students, five faculties and 23 programmes.

Further expansion of the Afrikaans university system

Visser emphasises that Akademia is thankful to celebrate the growth of the past thirteen years, but that the institution is once again experiencing a renewed sense of vocational drive regarding its responsibility toward the future. “Akademia is now established and the time for deepening, broadening, and expansion has arrived. With our values as compass and our vision as the destination, we are dedicated to fulfilling this important task,” says Visser. From 2026, the institution will enjoy a campus presence in the Paarl in the Western Cape. This geographical expansion will not only expand Akademia’s existing footprint in the region, but will also strengthen its commitment to the community. Akademia’s campus dream, namely to establish a world-class residential campus in Pretoria where 5 000 full-time undergraduate students and about 1 500 postgraduate will be at home, is currently in its developmental phase. The target date for this project, in partnership with the estate development company Kanton, is set for January 2028. The Futurebuilder (Toekomsbouer) project offers members of the Afrikaans language and cultural communities the opportunity to not just dream of the future together, but to actively build together by way of donations, investments and testamentary bequests in order to make the campus dream come true. Please send an email to skenking@akademia.ac.za and one of the Akademia fund managers will be in contact with you to arrange a visit and to discuss the nature of your donation, contribution or legacy.

A world-class campus the making. The achitect representation offers an outline of how the new Akademia campus will look.

The Futurebuilder campaign was launched to realise Akademia’s dream of a world-class residential campus in Pretoria in order to ensure the continued existence of the Afrikaans university system.

Reaction towards mr. Trump’s executive order

Posted on February 10, 2025 by anneke

We took note of Mr Trump’s Executive Order with regard to South-Africa in general and Afrikaners in particular.

His Order and the other statements of senior American officials place the spotlight on contentious issues in South Africa, like our foreign policy and the situation of Afrikaners as an indigenous cultural community. We welcome the concern of important Americans about our situation but believe the solution must be found in South Africa.

We reaffirm our firm commitment to the country and its people, although we differ with the ANC about the direction of the country, the many race laws that make us second class citizens, their treatment of the Afrikaans community with the Bela act, laws like the Expropriation act, and the blatant threats made by certain politicians towards Afrikaners.

However, we want to put on record the following:

•   We did not accuse the government of large-scale race-based land grabs, or distribute false information in this regard;
•   We did not and will not ask for sanctions against South-Africa, or that funds for vulnerable people be cut off by the US government;
•   We explicitly asked senior US officials not to kick South-Africa out of the Agoa act, because of the suffering it will cause to farmers and their workers, and the livelihoods of workers in the motor and chemical industries;
•   The Order of Mr Trump is the result of reckless policies of the ANC leadership that alienate a superpower, and not a so-called disinformation campaign from our side;
•   It is furthermore a product of years of diplomatic neglect by South African diplomats in our engagements with the US at many different forums and on a wide range of issues
•   We were not aware that Mr. Trump would issue this order
•   We believe that it is not in the interests of South Africa if there is a deterioration in the relationship with the world’s largest economy and a big trade partner and donor of our country.

In the light of the latest developments, we will urgently request a meeting with President Ramaphosa, to address the differences between us and to find solutions to that. Secondly, I will also lead a delegation to the United States for discussions with White House representatives later the month, in order for us to put the situation in SA in context.

The G20 summit has brought international attention to South Africa, and this will continue throughout the year. If the ANC, as leading party in the Government of National Unity and thus the chair of the G20 summit, wants to be a global player, its international and domestic policies must align accordingly.

This includes ensuring that the ANC does not violate the constitutional settlement by attempting to downscale Afrikaans schools and mother-tongue education through legislation, or the racial dispensation that are incompatible with a constitutional democracy, a functioning state and a growing economy that can provide jobs for everyone.

The Solidarity Movement, including Solidarity and AfriForum, represents approximately 600,000 Afrikaner families and 2 million individuals.

Our message to Presidents Ramaphosa and Trump is that we want to solve our problems within South Africa but we also appreciate diplomatic pressure from important roleplayers like the US. We are willing to engage in honest discussions with both parties about the state of the country and our community, and we commit to conveying facts correctly and responsibly, as we have always done.

The U.S. should empower South Africans, including the civil society, private sector and political parties to engage with each other and international roleplayers with a simple focus of being a country that gives space to all its people, respects minority rights and is loyal to its international commitments on issues such as the opposition to racial discrimination and the improvement of human rights and dialogue.

The Solidarity Movement remains committed to dialogue and is open to cooperation. We welcome the political pressure that the U.S. is placing on the ANC but will take a stand against the withdrawal of aid. We support South Africa’s continued participation in AGOA.

Ordinary South Africans should not bear the cost of diplomatic disputes and the ANC’s reckless policies. The withdrawal of aid could have severe social consequences and lead to increased unemployment. However, any aid must be carefully evaluated and must also address the priorities of the Afrikaner community.

The solution is that international assistance to South Africa should continue, while Afrikaners receive practical support in their pursuit of cultural autonomy. We want to establish the conditions for Afrikaners to stay in South-Africa, in order for us to make a sustainable contribution towards the country and all its people. We did not come to Africa as Afrikaners. Centuries ago, our ancestors came here from various countries in Europe, but became Afrikaners here, long before the birth of South Africa as a country. Our language and culture are indigenous to Africa. We named ourselves, our language and many of our institutions after Africa. Afrikaners are a self-defined cultural community – a people – and not simply a language group or a racial grouping.

We emphasise that through Afrikaans we also have a bond through our common language with the majority of coloured (“bruin”) South Africans, as well as with a significant number of people from other South African communities. We respect these other Afrikaans cultural communities and will cooperate and have been cooperating with them in all appropriate issues.

Afrikaners are committed to South Africa and the continent. We may disagree with the ANC, but we love our country. As in any community, there are individuals who wish to emigrate, but repatriation of Afrikaners as refugees is not a solution for us.

We want to build a future in South Africa and have minimum living conditions that we will set and work towards.
If the international community helps us create an environment where Afrikaners can sustainably remain in South Africa, we can make a lasting contribution to the well-being of the country and all its people.

Our loyalty to the country is as steadfast as our legitimate pursuit of cultural freedom and the abolition of racial discrimination against us.
This commitment to our country and cultural freedom is outlined in the Afrikaner Declaration, which was signed and introduced last year along with community leaders.

The Solidarity Movement, specifically Solidarity and AfriForum, will immediately begin developing proposals to resolve disputes over expropriation and race-based policies. Further information will be announced soon.

Flip Buys, chairperson of the Solidarity Movement

The ANC deserves sole blame for Trump statement

Posted on February 6, 2025 by anneke

Dirk Hermann

Source: Maroela Media

The ANC is hysterical about Pres. Donald Trump’s statements about expropriation and discrimination against some people in South Africa. “It’s the evil AfriForum’s fault,” they claimed. “Disinformation!” they screamed.

This is not the case. This is the ANC’s fault, 100%. This is about their actions over the years. However, Trump said much more than merely referring to expropriation. His frustration with South Africa goes beyond just one law.

The ANC’s foreign policy is reckless. In a video Ramaphosa scolds Trump. The ANC brought a case against Israel, (America’s ally) before the International Court of Justice, turning some of the powerful Jewish lobby groups in America into a bitter enemy.

The ANC is centralising more and more and it wants to nationalise healthcare. They are trampling on the rights of a minority’s right to mother tongue education. They have crazy racial laws that prevent the world’s richest man, the ex-South African and Trump confidant, Elon Musk, from doing business in South Africa. They are friends with all of America’s enemies.

Initially, they had invited Vladimir Putin to attend the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg even though a warrant of arrest was issued for him. This after the South African Navy had conducted joint naval exercises with China and Russia on the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine, while military cooperation with the US has all but disappeared.

The world is reporting on state capture. Judge Zondo’s extensive reports implicating hundreds of people in state capture were handed to the state. No one gets prosecuted, while many of those implicated have been appointed to the cabinet and hold senior positions in the ANC and in various government departments.

And then there is the matter of expropriation. Private ownership and property rights form the core of a modern economy. Any type of uncertainty about those rights scares investors away. “No, the current law is harmless,” the ANC claims but the “harmless” law exists within a context.

The context is an ANC that makes it explicitly clear that their goal is to amend section 25 of the Constitution. At the ANC’s 54^th policy conference they decided to proceed with the amendment to the Constitution.

Ramaphosa said: Land will be expropriated without compensation, and this will be done in a manner that does not harm the economy.” Gwede Mantashe said: You shouldn’t own more than 12 000 hectares of land, and therefore if you own more, it should be taken without compensation”.

The ANC failed to have section 25 of the Constitution amended. After having failed in Parliament to do so they indicated that they were still committed to land reform, and that they would continue to use policy and legislation to achieve this goal.

Ramaphosa subsequently signed the latest Expropriation Act into law. This is rightly so not an amendment to the Constitution. However, in the larger context of what the ANC intends it is dangerous though. It falls within a context of legislation to achieve their goals.

Given their intention, the Expropriation Act is dangerous in ANC hands. In the hands of a reckless ANC zero compensation and public interest become meaningful. For the ANC an amendment to the Constitution is first prize. Therefore, there is sound reason for concern that they would abuse the second prize to achieve what is, for them, the first prize.

The ANC, with a reckless domestic and foreign policy spanning many years, has alienated the world’s largest economy and one of South Africa’s main trade partners. This has climaxed under the administration of the disrupter Pres. Donald Trump.

Over the past few years, and after numerous visits to South Africa, Republicans and Democrats in the US Congress have become increasingly uneasy about the direction the country is moving into. The former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation’s references to America as “imperialist” and to Iran as “old friends” have contributed to the tensions.

Meanwhile, Republicans and Democrats are beginning to ask questions. A bill has been introduced that calls for a review of the relationship between South Africa and the US. A public hearing on the matter took place in Washington DC. The South African embassy was almost totally conspicuous by its absence. The private sector and civil society organisations such as Solidarity stepped in, demanding that ordinary South Africans not be punished.

And then came Trump’s angry statement with the ANC not accepting any blame but rather pointing the finger. Thank you for the compliment to AfriForum for being the reason behind the decision by the world’s most powerful man.

However, this is not the case. The reason for the cuts in funding that impact sick people, the scaring off of investors that impact poor people and the possibility of South Africa being kicked out of AGOA impacting ordinary workers, lies with the ANC.

This has nothing to do with AfriForum or Solidarity, but has everything to do with an arrogant, reckless ANC that does not want to accept responsibility for their actions, always wanting to shift the blame.

Solidarity and AfriForum have always acted only in the interests of South Africa. Our commitment and love lie with this country and its people. However, for 30 years the ANC has for every failure chosen to try to create scapegoats for their own crimes. In this case, we will not allow them to continue to do so.

Solidarity Movement to have discussions with Trump Administration

Posted on February 5, 2025February 5, 2025 by anneke

The Solidarity Movement announced that it would engage in talks with the US government about Pres. Trump’s statements made in the US media on Sunday evening about South Africa. At the same time, the Movement will engage with the South African government and will continue to exercise pressure locally to address policies that are harmful to the country.

On Sunday evening Trump announced that funding to projects in South Africa would be stopped immediately. Last year, the US government funded projects in South Africa worth more than 400 million dollars, especially to combat HIV/AIDS. South African universities also received funding from the US government. Clearly, Trump is aware of Pres. Ramaphosa’s signing of the Expropriation Act and this, combined with the South African government’s continued international legal battle against Israel, were probably the catalysts leading to Trump’s interventions. Advisors in the White House are also currently encouraging Trump to take a stand on minority rights in South Africa. This comes in the wake of, among other things, reports on the extent of racial discrimination against minorities in South Africa, the extent of farm attacks and murders over the past three decades and the signing of the BELA Act. Trump has been fully briefed on this by his Africa advisors over the past few days.

The Solidarity Movement is one of the largest civil movements in South Africa and represents around two million South Africans and a network of civil society institutions, including Solidarity and AfriForum. During the past few years, the Movement has been in contact with various US politicians to ensure that South Africa’s relations with USA do not run aground.

“The Solidarity Movement will ask the Trump Administration to exercise pressure on the ANC’s policies, but not to punish ordinary South Africans through measures causing greater unemployment or harming the vulnerable. “We do not like the ANC, but we love the country,” Flip Buys, chairperson of the Solidarity Movement, said. At the same time more foreign pressure on the ANC is essential because the constitutional settlement is currently being violated, and the ANC continues to govern on its own while a government of national unity (GNU) is indeed in power.The US has a major responsibility to ensure that constitutional promises such as property rights, mother tongue schools and universities and the abolition of racial discrimination are fulfilled because those promises were instrumental in the constitutional settlement of the 1990’s.

The Solidarity Movement plans a series of diplomatic actions that will include discussions with local diplomats and visits to Washington. The Solidarity Movement will soon release more information about the planned campaign.

“We will have discussions on issues such as expropriation, education, healthcare, race laws and AGOA. The outcome we are looking for is pressure to effect a change of policy, but not financial type of sanctions against the country. Kicking South Africa out of AGOA, for example, will lead to the loss of thousands of jobs. The result will be greater poverty and a breeding ground for more radical policy,” Buys said. Meanwhile, the Solidarity Movement continues to exert pressure locally. According to Buys, institutions such as Solidarity and AfriForum are continuing legal action against the new Expropriation Act, National Health Insurance, BELA and the country’s racial dispensation. “We are also planning to have talks with the ANC on its reckless international policy which could have devastating consequences for ordinary South Africans,” Buys said.