A Brave Step By NP To Join ANC In SA

THE National Party of South Africa, under the leadership of Marthinus van Schalkwyk, the latter fondly known in political circles as “Kortbroek” van Schalkwyk, has finally capitulated and joined the African National Congress, the ANC (The writing was on the wall – Insight, Sunday Times August 15 2004).

The National Party was formed in January 14, very hot on the heels of the ANC, which had seen the light of day two years earlier in 1912. Indeed, from the look of things, fate had some mystical occurrences awaiting bothparties in their lives.They were both founded by dynamic personalities.The ANC was formed in 1912 by intellectuals of their time.There was RW Msimang, a lawyer of international standing, Solomon Plaatjie, a teacher who became the first Organising Secretary of the ANC, John Dube, who established the Newspaper Ilanga la se Natal, first President of the ANC, Thomas Mapikela, Saul Msane and many more.It is definitely not an exaggeration to state that the formation of a black political party in 1912 influenced white politicians to do the same.Some of them had survived the Anglo-Boer war of 1899-1902, now called the South African War.The Boer War Leader General J. B. Hertzog, Captain Jopie Fourie, Henning Klopper and many others, sought to place the Afrikaners in the fore-front of white politics in South Africa.The controversial and notorious Natives Land Act of 1913 had just been passed by the Union Parlianent a year before, guaranteeing the white man’s right to own land and denying the black people that same right outside the so called “Scheduled Native Areas”.From then on the National Party grew from strength to strength, in the process establishing many organisations to promote the Afrikaaner language in particular.The Broederbond was formed in 1918, the secret society which for sixty years worked very hard for the cause of exclusive Afrikanerdom, the Ossewabrandwag, the Rapportryers, Reddingsdaadbond, Afrikanerbond van Mynwerkers, Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut, Afrikaanse Taal en Kultuurvereniging, Genootskap van Regte Afrikaaners and many others.Newspapers such as Die Vertaler, Die Vaderland, Die Burger, Die Volksblad, Hoofstad and many more, were established to accentuate Afrikaner politics and culture.In 1932 the Carnegie Commission published its report on “poor whites”, assisted by Dr Ernie Malherbe in its investigation.That report would later have far-reaching implications for South African politics.The policy of separate development or apartheid, created structures to benefit white people more than blacks, in order to uplift the standards of living of poor whites.When the National Party came to power in 1948, the main thrust of their policy was aimed at relegating the black population to positions of servitude and poverty.The new rulers created Bantustans and tried to make them viable mini-states, hoping to satisfy black political aspirations.Ironically dissenting voices did not arise from the black people only, but also from whites citizens of South Africa.The policy succeeded only in throwing a beautiful country into chaos and a costly war of liberation launched by black citizens.It is over now and black people live together with their white counterparts.The younger generation of today is wondering what all the fuss was about.Perhaps they should look at the NPs track record from 1949 to 1994, to just enlighten themselves about what really happened, when their leaders tried to separate even the air that we breathe.Hate speeches were the order of the day, when even children were taught to despise, hate, curse, swear and even attack people who were not of their own race.The legacy of the period will live for a long time to come.The National Party of South Africa ruled that country and South West Africa, today Namibia, for nearly fifty years.The policy of apartheid, comparable to some kind of witches brew that could kill instantly, was forged by the best brains in Afrikaner politics.It was implemented, failed and brought a lot of misery to both its supporters and victims alike.Children born in the post apartheid years will never come to believe anybody who tells them what happened in the past.The history that is being written now will be regarded as fairy tales by generations in forty years to come, while pre-apartheid history is now being re-written to put it into proper perspective.In like vein, today’s children in Europe do not believe that people in their countries had their heads chopped off in public in the market square, where fresh fruit and vegetables are sold daily.And now the wheel has turned full circle.Political parties which were sworn enemies barely ten years ago, have joined ranks and sit around the same table to discuss the future of South Africa.We say “Hail, van Schalkwyk This is the action of a visionary.How else can the white expertise be injected into the social, political and economic life of South Africa if you sit on the fence waiting to criticise the opposition to the government of the day? To simply sit down and clutch one’s hair and exclaim “Kyk hoe regeer hulle “, (See how they rule) will not bring about a better country.But being involved will ensure a sound system of government, transparency, democracy, and permanency of the capitalist system.”If the leaders of the past, on both sides of the political spectrum could rise from the dead today, they would die of shock to see white and black belonging to the same political party sitting together and having a cup of tea.But well, we are today’s people correcting yesterday’s bizarre and outlandish mistakes.Let us take a brief look at what the situation would have been like had apartheid never happened.A positive view of what the situation would have been like is:* Most, if not all our people, black and white, would be well educated today. * Most of our people would be economically productive and well-to-do * Laziness would be a very scarce commodity, since it is generated by ignorance in most cases * White and black would be ruling together without friction, with the majority of black citizens living in rural areas without being dictated to do so by law. * There would never have been wars of liberation * There would be no hatred among our citizens * I doubt if the majority of our people would be languishing in the kind of poverty we experience today * Who knows, perhaps not even communism would have arisen in this part of the world.But of course history had to take its course.We are fortunate to have brave men and women of our new generation who are prepared to put shoulder to the wheel and correct the situation.South Africa, unlike the rest of Africa, is well-developed and highly industrialised, It offers opportunities which are unequalled, compared to many developing countries, hence the great rush by people from all parts of the world to settle there.However for the fires of the blast furnaces of Iscor and other centres to keep burning, for the wheels of the factories to keep running, and for the economy to grow, expertise and the right manpower is required.Kortbroek van Schalkwyk no doubt knows this very well.After all it was white know-how which established the income andjob creating projects, and brought about industrialisation.From a political perspective therefore, white expertise cannot readily be made available if white citizens join opposition ranks.In order that continuity in the sphere of good economic development should be maintained, and in order that high standards of living that the whites have been enjoying through the years should be maintained, this time around enjoyed by all, those with knowhow should be involved directly.This will ensure that the very wheels of industry they created keep turning clock-wise.White citizens in Southern Africa who join opposition parties tend to become clock-wise.In so doing the store of knowledge they possess is lost to the nation, while the opposition await their turn to perhaps win in the next elections to rule, a turn that might never come at all, or can only come after many decades.The National Party of South Africa has discovered that being in the
opposition benches will take ages for white citizens to become involved in the development of their country, and that the right move is to “join them, if you can’t beat them.”I say “Congratulations!” to Mr van Schalkwyk for his daring move.He will no doubt be derided by some, dragged over the coals by others, and be called all kinds of names.The old Batswana saying: “Bo a tsha bo ya pele.” (Life goes on).If van Schalkwyk and many other young white politicians can become involved in the politics of their country, with their black countrymen and women, South Africa will be on the right course for healing the wounds of the past.When wounds heal, there is forgiveness, love, committment and a determination to work hard for one’s country.Incidentally, the Windhoek Observer of Saturday May 22, 2004, published a story in which Mr Jan Oelofse, one of the biggest landowners in Namibia, advised white citizens to join SWAPO.Well, Mr Oelofse would not make such a statement in public irresponsibly without having put much thought into it.And, coming from a well -known family of farmers, entrepreneurs and successful people in Namibia, Mr Oelofse knows very well that he can easily damage not only his business as it were, but also his reputation as a good Afrikaner, thereby becoming a x@#*..boetie, as it was said in the past.He knows full well that in order to be involved and to play a vital role in this country, he would be where his expertise can be utilised the most.And I’m not saying anybody should join Swapo, or whatever party.Swapo can fight their own battles, and well too.Furthermore, it is anyone’s democratic right to choose a political home.But the reality of our situation requires white people in particular to become aware of our situation, and try to make a meaningful input where it is needed.And it is no sin for the whites to join the ruling party, and leave opposition politics to black citizens.After all, the development that results from the input of the white citizens will be for the good of all citizens of Namibia.And this is the crux of the matter.Perhaps Kortbroek van Schalkwyk borrowed a leaf from Jan Oelofse and tried his hand in South Africa, so as to be the first to take the bull by the horns on this very crucial issue.It is to be hoped that the example set by the National Party of South Africa, will be emulated by their cousins, nephews and nieces in Namibia, Zimbabwe and elsewhere on the African continent.Indeed, from the look of things, fate had some mystical occurrences awaiting bothparties in their lives.They were both founded by dynamic personalities.The ANC was formed in 1912 by intellectuals of their time.There was RW Msimang, a lawyer of international standing, Solomon Plaatjie, a teacher who became the first Organising Secretary of the ANC, John Dube, who established the Newspaper Ilanga la se Natal, first President of the ANC, Thomas Mapikela, Saul Msane and many more.It is definitely not an exaggeration to state that the formation of a black political party in 1912 influenced white politicians to do the same.Some of them had survived the Anglo-Boer war of 1899-1902, now called the South African War.The Boer War Leader General J. B. Hertzog, Captain Jopie Fourie, Henning Klopper and many others, sought to place the Afrikaners in the fore-front of white politics in South Africa.The controversial and notorious Natives Land Act of 1913 had just been passed by the Union Parlianent a year before, guaranteeing the white man’s right to own land and denying the black people that same right outside the so called “Scheduled Native Areas”.From then on the National Party grew from strength to strength, in the process establishing many organisations to promote the Afrikaaner language in particular.The Broederbond was formed in 1918, the secret society which for sixty years worked very hard for the cause of exclusive Afrikanerdom, the Ossewabrandwag, the Rapportryers, Reddingsdaadbond, Afrikanerbond van Mynwerkers, Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut, Afrikaanse Taal en Kultuurvereniging, Genootskap van Regte Afrikaaners and many others.Newspapers such as Die Vertaler, Die Vaderland, Die Burger, Die Volksblad, Hoofstad and many more, were established to accentuate Afrikaner politics and culture.In 1932 the Carnegie Commission published its report on “poor whites”, assisted by Dr Ernie Malherbe in its investigation.That report would later have far-reaching implications for South African politics.The policy of separate development or apartheid, created structures to benefit white people more than blacks, in order to uplift the standards of living of poor whites.When the National Party came to power in 1948, the main thrust of their policy was aimed at relegating the black population to positions of servitude and poverty.The new rulers created Bantustans and tried to make them viable mini-states, hoping to satisfy black political aspirations.Ironically dissenting voices did not arise from the black people only, but also from whites citizens of South Africa.The policy succeeded only in throwing a beautiful country into chaos and a costly war of liberation launched by black citizens.It is over now and black people live together with their white counterparts.The younger generation of today is wondering what all the fuss was about.Perhaps they should look at the NPs track record from 1949 to 1994, to just enlighten themselves about what really happened, when their leaders tried to separate even the air that we breathe.Hate speeches were the order of the day, when even children were taught to despise, hate, curse, swear and even attack people who were not of their own race.The legacy of the period will live for a long time to come.The National Party of South Africa ruled that country and South West Africa, today Namibia, for nearly fifty years.The policy of apartheid, comparable to some kind of witches brew that could kill instantly, was forged by the best brains in Afrikaner politics.It was implemented, failed and brought a lot of misery to both its supporters and victims alike.Children born in the post apartheid years will never come to believe anybody who tells them what happened in the past.The history that is being written now will be regarded as fairy tales by generations in forty years to come, while pre-apartheid history is now being re-written to put it into proper perspective.In like vein, today’s children in Europe do not believe that people in their countries had their heads chopped off in public in the market square, where fresh fruit and vegetables are sold daily.And now the wheel has turned full circle.Political parties which were sworn enemies barely ten years ago, have joined ranks and sit around the same table to discuss the future of South Africa.We say “Hail, van Schalkwyk This is the action of a visionary.How else can the white expertise be injected into the social, political and economic life of South Africa if you sit on the fence waiting to criticise the opposition to the government of the day? To simply sit down and clutch one’s hair and exclaim “Kyk hoe regeer hulle “, (See how they rule) will not bring about a better country.But being involved will ensure a sound system of government, transparency, democracy, and permanency of the capitalist system.”If the leaders of the past, on both sides of the political spectrum could rise from the dead today, they would die of shock to see white and black belonging to the same political party sitting together and having a cup of tea.But well, we are today’s people correcting yesterday’s bizarre and outlandish mistakes.Let us take a brief look at what the situation would have been like had apartheid never happened.A positive view of what the situation would have been like is:* Most, if not all our people, black and white, would be well educated today. * Most of our people would be economically productive and well-to-do * Laziness would be a very scarce commodity, since it is generated by ignorance in most cases * White and black would be ruling together without friction, with the majority of black citizens living in rural areas without being dictated to do so by law. * There would neve
r have been wars of liberation * There would be no hatred among our citizens * I doubt if the majority of our people would be languishing in the kind of poverty we experience today * Who knows, perhaps not even communism would have arisen in this part of the world.But of course history had to take its course.We are fortunate to have brave men and women of our new generation who are prepared to put shoulder to the wheel and correct the situation.South Africa, unlike the rest of Africa, is well-developed and highly industrialised, It offers opportunities which are unequalled, compared to many developing countries, hence the great rush by people from all parts of the world to settle there.However for the fires of the blast furnaces of Iscor and other centres to keep burning, for the wheels of the factories to keep running, and for the economy to grow, expertise and the right manpower is required.Kortbroek van Schalkwyk no doubt knows this very well.After all it was white know-how which established the income andjob creating projects, and brought about industrialisation.From a political perspective therefore, white expertise cannot readily be made available if white citizens join opposition ranks.In order that continuity in the sphere of good economic development should be maintained, and in order that high standards of living that the whites have been enjoying through the years should be maintained, this time around enjoyed by all, those with knowhow should be involved directly.This will ensure that the very wheels of industry they created keep turning clock-wise.White citizens in Southern Africa who join opposition parties tend to become clock-wise.In so doing the store of knowledge they possess is lost to the nation, while the opposition await their turn to perhaps win in the next elections to rule, a turn that might never come at all, or can only come after many decades.The National Party of South Africa has discovered that being in the opposition benches will take ages for white citizens to become involved in the development of their country, and that the right move is to “join them, if you can’t beat them.”I say “Congratulations!” to Mr van Schalkwyk for his daring move.He will no doubt be derided by some, dragged over the coals by others, and be called all kinds of names.The old Batswana saying: “Bo a tsha bo ya pele.” (Life goes on).If van Schalkwyk and many other young white politicians can become involved in the politics of their country, with their black countrymen and women, South Africa will be on the right course for healing the wounds of the past.When wounds heal, there is forgiveness, love, committment and a determination to work hard for one’s country.Incidentally, the Windhoek Observer of Saturday May 22, 2004, published a story in which Mr Jan Oelofse, one of the biggest landowners in Namibia, advised white citizens to join SWAPO.Well, Mr Oelofse would not make such a statement in public irresponsibly without having put much thought into it.And, coming from a well -known family of farmers, entrepreneurs and successful people in Namibia, Mr Oelofse knows very well that he can easily damage not only his business as it were, but also his reputation as a good Afrikaner, thereby becoming a x@#*..boetie, as it was said in the past.He knows full well that in order to be involved and to play a vital role in this country, he would be where his expertise can be utilised the most.And I’m not saying anybody should join Swapo, or whatever party.Swapo can fight their own battles, and well too.Furthermore, it is anyone’s democratic right to choose a political home.But the reality of our situation requires white people in particular to become aware of our situation, and try to make a meaningful input where it is needed.And it is no sin for the whites to join the ruling party, and leave opposition politics to black citizens.After all, the development that results from the input of the white citizens will be for the good of all citizens of Namibia.And this is the crux of the matter.Perhaps Kortbroek van Schalkwyk borrowed a leaf from Jan Oelofse and tried his hand in South Africa, so as to be the first to take the bull by the horns on this very crucial issue.It is to be hoped that the example set by the National Party of South Africa, will be emulated by their cousins, nephews and nieces in Namibia, Zimbabwe and elsewhere on the African continent.