Gustav Thiel
In the face of strong opposition from old Transvaalers, Afrikaner leaders met behind closed doors this month to reconsider a plan to launch an organisation to protect their language.
The who’s who of Afrikaner intellect and business had thrown their considerable weight behind the initiative, and agreed at their first public meeting in December last year to regroup in June.
They undertook to draw in coloured and black Afrikaans speakers by their second meeting. But instead, they decided more time was needed to rethink their strategies.
Nasionale Pers executive chair Ton Vosloo, Sanlam chair Marinus Daling and University of Cape Town political scientist Hermann Giliomee are heading a steering committee charged with launching an umbrella organisation to co-ordinate the disparate actions of the existing 200 organisations servicing the language group. They enjoy support from author Breyten Breytenbach, former ambassador to Denmark Conrad Sidego and banker Christo Wiese.
Vosloo said this week the group believed they needed to rethink. “We have encountered opposition from existing Afrikaans groups and it would not make sense to alienate these people,” he said.
Several people, including Breytenbach, are believed unhappy that no significant black or coloured support could be found for the initiative.
“The problem with the initial initiative was that it created unbelievable expectations and people thought we were the new Messiah. Now we must rather take things slowly and consider all our options,” Vosloo said.
Giliomee said Jewish, Flemish and Belgian models are being considered as options for the compilation of a Afrikaans blueprint.