leader
Gustav Thiel
A new messiah has emerged in the faltering attempt to launch an umbrella movement to protect the rights of the Afrikaner community: former Progressive Federal Party MP Frederik van Zyl Slabbert.
A leading instigator of the initiative, Nasionale Pers non-executive chair Ton Vosloo, said this week that leading Afrikaners “simply do not have the time or energy to devote to the cause and this means that nothing is really happening with our efforts”.
But a meeting between Vosloo and Slabbert recently in Cape Town confirmed the fact that the Naspers chair, regarded by many in the Afrikaner establishment as the leading voice of his people since the National Party relinquished power in 1994, sees the former politician, political consultant and businessman, as the saviour of the Afrikaner.
Vosloo said this week that he had talks with Slabbert and that he regards him as one of the more important figures who will ensure the future of the new organisation, which will attempt to co-ordinate the disparate actions of the existing 200 organisations servicing Afrikaans speakers.
In December 1996, Afrikaner leaders gathered at Stellenbosch to discuss the possibility of an umbrella body, provisionally called the Raad van Afrikaners (Council of Afrikaners). At this meeting, Slabbert expressed concern about the formation of the body. “I don’t want to damage the initiative, but I have reservations,” he said. “Who are Afrikaners? I haven’t worked that out yet. We come from different worlds.”
At the meeting, a decision was taken to reconvene in June 1997 where a steering committee was formed consisting of Vosloo, University of Cape Town political scientist Herman Giliomee and Sanlam chair Marinus Daling. The committee has the backing of writer Breyten Breytenbach, former ambassador to Denmark Conrad Sidego and banker Christo Wiese.
Vosloo said their efforts have been stalled “for the simple reason that logistically it is very difficult to get all these high- powered businessmen together”. He added that people like Daling and Wiese do not regard the activities of Afrikaner cultural organisations as of primary importance. “They believe we should rectify the situation by following sound business principles.”
A highly placed source in Nasionale Pers said Vosloo privately believes Slabbert is the only person with enough credibility within the broader South African community who can lead the council. Slabbert was in Senegal this week and did not want to comment on the issue. But the source says he is now positive about the organisation.
Giliomee, who jetted out to Belgium this week to research a model on which the council could be based, said he was aware that Slabbert could play a crucial role in the organisation.
Vosloo is meeting several other role-players in Cape Town. Although he did not want to specify who they were, he added that a report of the meeting would be handed to Slabbert. “In the meantime we can do well to follow the advice of General Jan Smuts when he said, ‘Just let things develop’,” Vosloo said.