Orania leaders have responded to calls from Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) Northern Cape representatives who have labelled the Afrikaner town a “modern-day Apartheid”. They’ve also shared their views on why the Afrikaner-only town should exist, despite calls for it to be dismantled.
On Tuesday, 22 April, the political party marched to the Premier’s office, handing over a memorandum to authorities to legally view the community’s status.
ORANIA CLAPS BACK AT EFF NORTHERN CAPE
In their official Facebook page, Orania leaders condemned the call to action by the Northern Cape EFF, particularly provincial leader Shadrack Tlhaole.
The post contained the community’s various reasons why Orania should have the right to exist.
It read: “We do not demand, and we do not beg. All our efforts are directly focused on construction, not on denying anyone else’s rights.
“We encourage people to build schools, communities, and more. This is what the Oranians have been doing for more than thirty years with scarce resources.
“Orania exists in terms of article 235 of the constitution, historical agreements and recognition, and a God-given international law, and is completely legal. Orania is and remains an African community.
Calling their town a “Utopia”, the post continued: “A future must be built! Orania is building, and everyone is welcome to learn from it!
“Orania is not an organization that can be disbanded. We are a community, a home for our people. So, Orania will not fall; Orania will stand”.
VF PLUS BACKS ‘CULTURAL EXPRESSION’
In a statement issued to The South African, the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) backed Orania’s right to exist.
Northern Cape leader and MP, Dr. Wynand Boshoff, shared: “Since its founding, the VF Plus has been advocating self-determination, as embodied by Orania, among others. Therefore, the party unequivocally rejects the EFF’s demands.
“In a multi-ethnic country like South Africa, there is often a majority that pays lip service to recognising diversity but, in reality, denies it. Such a policy denies minorities the leeway to maintain a dynamic culture through various institutions. This is typically done in the name of national unity.
He added: “The opposite approach is to grant minorities all the room they need for cultural expression and even for government to promote such expression”.
DO YOU BELIEVE ORANIA SHOULD EXIST OR NOT?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
