Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging
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The Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging or AWB, is a political and paramilitary group in South Africa under the leadership of Eugène Terre'Blanche. They are committed to the restoration of an independent Afrikaner republic or "Boerestaat" within South Africa. In their heyday they received much publicity both in South Africa and abroad as an extremist white supremacist group.
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[edit] Beginnings
The AWB was formed in 1970 in a garage in Heidelberg, Transvaal, a town southeast of Johannesburg. Eugène Terre'Blanche, a former police officer, became disillusioned by then-Prime Minister B.J. Vorster's "liberal views," as well as what he viewed as Communist influences in South African society. Terre'Blanche decided to form the AWB with six other like-minded individuals, and was elected leader of the organisation, a position he holds to this day.
Their ideology was to establish an independent Boerestaat ("Boer State") for Afrikaner people, existing separately from South Africa, which was considered too left wing by Terre'blanche. The AWB was formed in an attempt to regain the ground lost after the Second Boer War: they intended to re-establish the Boer Republics of the past — the South African Republic (Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek) and the Republic of the Orange Free State (Oranje Vrystaat) — which the European and American governments had recognized. [1]
[edit] The AWB logo
The AWB flag is comprised of three sevens in a white circle upon a red background, forming a triskelion, highly similar to the Nazi swastika.
Despite the strong resemblance to the Nazi swastika and the historic admiration for Nazism among the far right in South Africa, Terre'Blanche publicly claims to distance the AWB from this interpretation of the emblem. He claims instead that the sevens, 'the number of JAHWEH', 'stand to oppose the number 666, the number of the anti-Christ'. Red is considered to represent Jesus' blood, while black stands for bravery and courage. The inner white circle symbolizes the "eternal struggle".
The AWB also uses the "Vierkleur" or the original flag of the once independent Transvaal Republic.
[edit] AWB during Apartheid
During the 1970s and 1980s, the AWB grew from the original 7 to several thousand white South Africans. They opposed the reform of Apartheid laws during the 1980s, harassing liberal politicians and holding large (and often quite rowdy) political rallies. Terre'Blanche used his flamboyant oratorical skills and forceful personality to win converts. He railed against the lifting of many so-called "Petty apartheid" laws such as the law banning interracial sex and marriage, as well as the larger and more important steps, such as limited political rights to Indians and Coloureds. During the State of Emergency (1984 to 1986) there were many reports of AWB violence against unarmed non-whites. The AWB was especially in opposition to the then-banned African National Congress which they believed was controlled by the South African Communist Party. The ruling National Party considered the AWB to be little more than a fringe group, so while not officially endorsed, they were able to operate relatively unhindered. However in 1986, white police officers took the unprecedented step of using tear gas against Terre'Blanche and the AWB when they disrupted a National Party rally.
In 1992, the AWB was beset by scandal when Terre'Blanche was found to be having an affair with journalist Jani Allan, with transcripts of their sexual relationship appearing in the South African press.
During the negotiations that led to South Africa's first multiracial elections, the AWB threatened all-out war. During the Battle of Ventersdorp in August 1991, the AWB confronted police in front of the town hall where President F W de Klerk was speaking, and three AWB supporters and one passer-by were killed in the conflict. Later in the negotiations, the AWB stormed the Kempton Park World Trade Centre where the negotiations were taking place, breaking through the glass front of the building with an armoured car. [2] The police guarding the centre failed to prevent the invasion. The invaders then took over the main conference hall, threatening delegates and painting slogans on the walls, but left again after a short period.
[edit] The Rise to Power and Volkhulpskem
An economic crisis in the mid- 1980s saw lots of poorer White South African families fall on hard times, at this point the AWB stepped in. A program to help the very poorest Afrikaner families was instituted, it was inititally called Die AWB Voedingskema (The AWB Feeding Scheme) and distributed food to the poor, however it was renamed the Volkhulpskem (People's Help Scheme). As well as delivering a meal every day to 14,000 poor Afrikaner children in Pretoria it saw a rapid increase in the support the AWB had. In the final 3 months of 1986 alone 300 tons of food was donated directly to poor Afrikaner families.
Afrikaans singer Bles Bridges held a concert on March 3rd, 1987 in Pretoria and gave the 10,000 Rand raised to the AWB's People's Help Scheme.
In the Winter bedding was donated as well, sympathetic mine owners and farmers 'arranged' jobs for unemployed Afrikaners on the farms and mines. Certain farmers also donated vegeatables on an almost weekly basis to the poorest.
It was this kind of socialism (although restrited soley to their people) that made the AWB so popular from the mid- 1980s to mid- 1990s with certain Afrikaners and Boers.
In many ways the AWB followed the same principles, despite the evident influence of Christianity in the AWB's beliefs, as the NAZIS, who, despite the fact that they have become synonymous with racism and the far- right wing, were in fact a German Man's Workers party. More importantly however the NAZIS were National Socialists, i.e. they cared in a socialist way about their own people and had little concern for what their behaviour did to non- Germans, much in the way that the AWB mistreated blacks and other non- whites despite having genuine concern for their people.
[edit] Bophuthatswana coup
In 1994, before the advent of majority rule, the AWB gained international notoriety in its attempt to defend the dictatorial government of Lucas Mangope in the homeland of Bophuthatswana. The AWB, along with a contingent of about 90 Afrikanervolksfront militiamen entered the capital of Mmabatho on March 10 and March 11. During their entry to the homeland they were all observed indiscriminately shooting civilians and tossing grenades from their vehicles. After the black soldiers and police with Bophuthatswana Defence Force (they and the AWB were out in force to support president Mangope) witnessed these killings, they disappeared from the streets in protest. They later turned on the AWB/Volksfront militiamen at the airport at Mafikeng. One AWB member was shot and killed when the convoy attempted to leave the airport and continue on to Mmabatho. When in Mmabatho, the AWB and the Afrikaner Volksfront found themselves under continuous siege from both the Bophuthatswana Defence Force and Mmabatho citizens. When attempting to retreat from Mmabatho on March 11, three AWB members were killed by Defence Force members. The three exchanged fire with Defence Force soldiers and policemen from their Mercedes on reaching an intersection. The wounded survivor Alwyn Wolfaardt waved a pistol but was advised not to start shooting by nearby journalists. Woolfaardt requested an ambulance for an injured member and Menyatso allegedly replied, "Why didn't you bring your own ambulance". The journalists themselves were nearly fired upon by Bophuthatswana soldiers (they were saved by a jammed rifle) and Wolfaardt was shot at close range by Ontlametse Bernstein Menyatsoe whose words "What are you doing in my country?" were broadcast around the world by a television news crew. This proved to be a public relations disaster for the AWB and showed the world in stark terms that decades of white supremacy had come to an end. Despite this disaster, Eugène Terre'Blanche proclaimed the failed campaign a victory.
[edit] Post-apartheid
In June 2004, Terre'blanche was released from prison. He was sentenced for the attempted murder of security guard, Paul Motshabi, but Terre'blanche only served three years. Terre'blanche claims that while in prison, he re-discovered God and has dropped some of his more violent and racist policies. He nowadays preaches reconciliation as 'prescribed by God'.
[edit] Confusing Name
Although called the Afrikaner Resistance Movement the AWB didn't seem to at any point clearly define who's interests they had at heart. Much of their recruitment was targeted at Boers rather than Afrikaners or the Cape Dutch (as non- Voortrekker Afrikaners are sometimes known). Although they claimed to be for Afrikaans- speaking white nationalists only, there was no shortage of English- speaking Whites who joined up. As Terre'Blanche's driver and AWB member, Jan 'J.P' Meyer, once remarked, "We have a large membership, even in parts of the country that we don't see as our [the Boervolk] homeland". Despite this the AWB declared, directly, that Afrikaans was the only and official language of the movement.
There has even been rumours that the AWB sought membership out of the White race and recruited some coloureds and Indians.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Truth and Reconcilliation application by Ontlametse Menyatsoe who was at the centre of the Bophuthatswana incident
- South African Press Association (1997): AWB EXPRESSES REGRETS OVER BOP KILLINGS, RACISM
[edit] Further reading
The Bang-bang Club: The Making of the New South Africa, Greg Marinovich and Joao Silva, William Heinemann, 2000 ISBN 0-434-00733-1 (details the Bophuthatswana incident)
