Struggle(s) for Self-determination: Afrikaner Aspirations in the Twenty-first Century

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The question of self-determination is not a new one. Struggles for autonomy have drawn interest both from within and outside academia, and as a phenomena is not confined solely to history. Contemporary examples abound, including the recent decision of British voters to support a negotiated exit from the European Union – known as Brexit – and the uncertainty caused by calls for Catalonian and Kurdish independence. Clearly this phenomena holds valid and real consequences for the global state system. Moreover, very few scholarly studies touch upon Afrikaner self-determination, not to mention provide an in-depth analysis of just what this concept entails. It is into this deficit that this study ventures, through an analysis of historical and contemporary Afrikaner self-determination aspirations and the conditions under which it exist.The research question this study investigates is whether the phenomenon of national self-determination can be identified in historical and contemporary Afrikanerdom, and what the broad trends and developments in Afrikaner self-determination aspirations are, as represented by key Afrikaner activists and organisations. In order to begin addressing this research problem it is first and foremost necessary to understand what national self-determination is, and what factors are conducive towards its emergence and/or decline. As will be shown, national self-determination is a chameleonic right that seeks to establish an independent domain of political control – in various forms. On the factors conducive towards the phenomenon's emergence and/or decline, this analysis points toward discontent within deeply divided societies under democratic forms of governance that may accentuate these divides instead of bridging them – most notably majoritarianism – while other forms of democratic systems – such as consociationalism – may induce the opposite.Secondly, it is necessary to establish what, if any, are the broad trends and developments of Afrikaner self-determination efforts in an historical context. As will be made clear, the phenomenon of self-determination runs like a golden thread throughout Afrikaner history, from the anti-imperial and republican Afrikaner self-determination efforts of the nineteenth century to those in the twentieth century that mobilised Afrikaner Nationalism and the policy of apartheid to protect Afrikaner autonomy by denying others the same right. Thirdly, and closely linked with the former, a review of the broad manifestations of contemporary Afrikaner self-determination discourse and action as presented by key self-determination activists and organisations was undertaken, in conjunction with the factors which contribute to action in this regard. Here it was shown that Afrikaner self-determination is alive and well in South Africa, with Afrikaner centric organisations seeking the establishment of greater internal self-determination while not denying the possibility of grand self-determination – or the consideration of Afrikaner independence – in the future. Moreover, this analysis proposes that deep rifts within South African society – further worsened by the non-accommodation of majoritarianism and the resultant sense of political impotency – creates the conditions necessary to further Afrikaner action in this regard. Yet this need not be so. Indeed, there are alternatives to the attainment of Afrikaner self-determination on a grand scale, and none appear more promising than the group accommodation sought by consociationalist forms of democratic governance.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University