The Fatherland - Die Vaderland

By Rebone Makgato

Whites in South Africa, particularly the Afrikaners, had enjoyed racist minority rule with institutionalised racism and apartheid since 1948. Now the winds of change, the actual ushering in of the new democratic order in 1994, and the election of the first ever black government culminated in fear and loss of political privilege.

 

But one Afrikaner leader, Fanie Bosman, was on a mission to protect the Afrikaner legacy. Together with other extremist leaders, he steered his Afrikaner party to fight for an exclusive independent homeland called Die Vaderland.

 

The trouble was with the AWB's Eugene Terre Blanche having lost his grip on his traditional racist base, support for white racist supremacy was waning. Many of the white supremacists were disillusioned by lack of white power.

 

A small section of the white population saw Fanie Bosman as the answer. He was the only leader who had the qualities to deliver Die Vaderland homeland back to the Afrikaners.

 

Will they succeed?

 

Will the idea and struggle for independence bear fruit?

 

Buy this book and find for yourself. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rebone Makgato
• Release date: Jan 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9781458113092

Rebone Makgato

I am a novelist, poet, short story writer and an investigative journalist. I have written a number of books and winning short stories. My books are available in paperback on www.amazon.com. For more information visit my website: www.rebone.yolasite.com. I love poetry and I have a blog called Decolonising Poetry - where you can encounter a kind of poetry never before written. Visit Decolonising Poetry here: http://1rebone.wordpress.com/I love news. I am the founder and editor of a daily online newspaper I call What To Know http://paper.li/f-1387818040. Vist the paper and subscribe for free.In addition to my writing career, I am a trained chemist.I run a chemicals business called Rebochem. Rebochem supplies laboratory chemicals, laboratory equipment, laboratory apparatus and glassware, and lab science kit packages to both junior and high schools, as well as universities, research/medical laboratories and manufacturing industry.

Book preview

THE FATHERLAND:

DIE VADERLAND

A Docunova

Rebone Makgato

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As Told By

Nico Fanie Bosman

SOUTH AFRICA

For Afrikaners across the land:

South Africa belongs to all those who live in it.

- Nico F. Bosman

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ONE

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25 Platinum Street

Chroompark

MOKOPANE

0600

SOUTH AFRICA

12 January 2009

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Mr Victor Nolan

Publisher: New Vision Books

11 University Road

Johannesburg

South Africa

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Dear Mr Nolan

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I HOPE THIS e-mail finds you in good health. I am concerned because the last time I paid you a visit you had a severe cold. How is the publishing business in this time of recession? I’d like to thank you once again for the invaluable advice you have given me concerning the structure of the manuscript.

Please accept my apology for the delay in replying to your mail. As I explained in my earlier reply, I had no option but to wait for the outcome of the litigation by the organization the ANK, against my grandfather’s estate. As it happened, I inherited Grandpa Fanie Bosman’s Mokopane house. In his last will and testament, Grandpa Fanie bestowed the house, and everything in it, to me.

This act of generosity upset many in his organization. I always knew that I was his favourite among the extended family. But even so, the whole honour of the house being bequeathed to me came as a shock, not least with all the attendant problems that came with it as a going concern.

On the other hand my shock was without merit as Gail, Grandpa Fanie’s wife of fifty years, died about a decade ago. So it was perceivable that with Grandma Gail, whom we affectionately referred to as GG no longer with us, the house had to go to any one of the many nephews, nieces and cousins for its continued upkeep. The house has magnificent grounds and a beautifully landscaped garden with terraces, and a sparkling swimming pool.

Grandpa Fanie's former house, in the suburb of Chroompark in Mokopane, used to be a meeting point – sort of an unofficial planning hub for members of the ANK. I never grew up in this house, so I have unquiet, mixed feelings about it. The house looks rigid and too cold for normal occupation. As a kid, my mother used to drop me at Chroompark to spend school holidays with Grandpa Fanie and my cousins. At all times when we visited, there’d be anywhere up to twenty people at a time. Mostly they were farmers, who had mutual concerns as my grandfather. Other people who frequented the house were businessmen and members of Grandpa Fanie’s numerous clubs.

Whatever their concerns and business interests these people had at Chroompark, my grandfather never involved me in any of it. My mother too distanced herself from the house whenever she could, which, in hindsight, I acknowledge was wise. Some of my cousins and extended relatives, whom Grandpa Fanie drew into the Chrompark business, often expressed to me that I was lucky never to have been embroiled in the affairs of the ANK. Looking back, I think I am. Perhaps I was a special apple in my grandfather's eye as far as the ANK’s activities and beliefs were concerned. However, as for me and the inner workings of the ANK, I’d much rather leave them to the readers to decide.

Grandpa Fanie was eighty-nine years old when he passed away in March of last year. Some years ago, (twelve years to be precise) his organization, the ANK resolved to honour him for exemplary leadership and outstanding cultural stance. They fulfilled that honour by establishing the Fanie Bosman Leadership Institute (FBLI) in 1997. The institute was aimed at encouraging and nurturing school kids and varsity students to espouse the views and the wishes of the minority Afrikaner nation.

The objectives of the institute were clear and to the point. One of the ways of tackling that strategy was establishing institutions of learning aimed exclusively at the ANK members and their families. The academies were developed to involve training and indoctrinating their students to be the next generation of cultural and political fighters who would put their lives on the line for the organisation’s belief system.

In a space of a little more than three years, the exclusive, CVO schools, so-called independent Christelike Opleidings Akademie had sprouted up in every district in the province. Admission criteria to these schools was strictly proven Afrikaner heritage. The exclusion of other nationalities was by default, as strict rules governed admission. Lessons and lectures at these schools were delivered only in Afrikaans. The Fanie Bosman Leadership Institute had, as of 2007, awarded bursaries to more than 500 white Afrikaans students in formerly whites-only universities across the country. All of the bursary recipients were rigorously screened. They all had links to cultural activism.

Now with the passing of Grandpa Fanie, and my inheriting his Chroompark property, came a huge problem. The bone of contention here was a complaint contained in a letter by the ANK secretary Freddy Gerhardus Bam (which I had attached) that, contrary to Grandpa Fanie’s will, all his intellectual property – the contents of his study and office; his writings and ideas; his books and diaries; the organization’s minutes and correspondence; his notes, lectures and unpublished papers, were in fact the properties of the ANK or its branch, the Fanie Bosman Leadership Institute!

There was reason for the ANK to instigate that claim, though.

These were substantial material covering every aspect of the ANK and its cultural and philo-political stance. This huge trove – the collection was housed in Grandpa Fanie’s house – held essentially his organisation’s policies and plans of operations. While not a political party, the ANK had strong views on current politics, and sought to develop strategies to protect and save the Afrikaner nation. The material in this collection was for the ANK, by the ANK Chairman. So it was little wonder that Freddy Gehardus Bam felt the papers and books should form an integral part of either the ANK or the chairman’s leadership institute, where they could be better utilised.

Only that Grandpa Fanie had not donated them to either organization.

This simple matter escalated into a huge argument between me, the ANK and FBLI. It dragged on for about six months. However, it was upon the inability of all three parties to resolve the dispute amicably that the two groups opposing my acquisition sought relief by bringing a court action to lawfully claim the contents of Grandpa Fanie Bosman’s house.

To be frank with you, Mr Nolan, the matter of Grandpa Fanie’s papers and other writings displeased me. Literally speaking, they were of no sentimental attachment to me as I had never been a member of the ANK. As an ordinary South African – and a liberal white, I should emphasize – I had never appreciated the value Grandpa Fanie’s writings and lectures had to fellow South Africans. On the whole, I personally think that his contribution to the South African political landscape was hyped. I also think that in reality he was worshipped by only a small section of the white population that chose to differ with the collective mainstream dream in general.

In essence, Mr Nolan, it was this minority section that revered my grandfather and made him a cult.

That said, the same would also apply to the cultural significance of his writings. As a non-member of this organization, I neither espouse, promote, uphold nor condemn his writings and beliefs from a political point of view. It is possible, I should think, to value cultural significance on a wide band of issues that pertain to extreme perceptiveness of an ethnic group. It is also possible that other people from the same ethnic background could remain passive towards such significances. By so saying, my brief, as outlined in my initial correspondence with you, is to simply bring my grandfather’s writings to light. I aim to bring these to a wider audience across the land – the audience that otherwise wouldn’t have known that the secret ANK, its beliefs and convictions existed in our beautiful land.

I could go on and expand my view and imply that Grandfather Fanie’s writings belong to the dustbins of history – in a chillingly unique way. This is because the bulk of his personal beliefs and activities – intertwined with those of the ANK, took place well after the new democratic dispensation. Granted, everyone had the right to form and belong to an association of their choice. Thus a paper trail remains – an historical documentation that would explain the motives behind functions, beliefs and modus operandi of the ANK. With that belief only – and only justified by this reasoning – I hold that Grandpa Fanie’s writings deserve an audience with the world.

Again, whether he was right or wrong for standing by what he so steadfastly believed in, is for the world to decide.

Anyway, back to the court case. I am relieved now that the matter has been settled. It is an uneasy, painful pleasure for me to welcome the court’s decision to respect Grandpa Fanie’s wishes. It was found that his last will and testament was valid, implying that the ANK had no province to claim for this specific property of my grandfather’s estate. As I am now vindicated, the property I inherited is for me to decide what I want to do with it. I do not at all support the remnants of the ANK that are fighting for Chroompark house to be preserved as a piece of Afrikaner heritage. To that end, I had been offered all sorts of monies to trade the house so that it can be turned into an Afrikaner museum; however, that is not in my interest, so I duly declined. I have received several petitions to that effect; fortunately, they lacked traction and support. I do not stay at this house. I could even demolish it if I so wished. The South African Heritage Resources Agency confirmed in writing that the house is only forty years old, which would not be a contravention should I demolish it.

Grandpa Fanie had two hounds – a Rhodesian ridgeback and a lion dog – that I inherited with the house. The matter of the hounds and their purposes I would best reserve to a narrative somewhere as the chapters roll along. For now, though, suffice to say that I had the lion dog put down. I also donated the Rhodesian ridgeback to a private canine centre recommended by the SPCA for rehabilitation. It too was nearly put down, had it not been for the intervention of an elderly animal lover.

Of course I have no plans to sell the house in future. I have decided to invest a lot of time and resources in renovating it, bathing it anew to divorce it completely, literally, from the face that it had shown under my grandfather’s occupation. Presently I am finally enjoying the peace and quiet as I finalise the manuscript honouring grandpa Fanie’s writings. I think it should be appropriate at this stage to mention that during my research I had come under fierce criticism from some quarters in the ANK, for putting the book together. You have noticed, as you stated earlier, that this work is neither a novel nor a biography. It is rather a documentation of ANK activities based on the organisation's minutes, Grandpa’s diaries and other writings.

For that reason, any appearances and opinions henceforth elaborated here are solely because of Grandpa Fanie's standing as the chairman, and later, president of the ANK. That is shown purely by the whole material – the body work being a systematic interpretation of a vast number of entries in his diaries as well as the directives of his commands. The work is also devoid of individual members’ personal lives except of course where such occurrences courted the attention of their organization. In a way this is not my work, but Grandpa Fanie’s life work, tied with the activities of the ANK.

Due to the nature of this work, as you have commented on the draft manuscript, you requested a little background information about me, notably my family. Well, I had never really known my father. He divorced my mother in 1973 when I was five years old. I am the only child in the family. The only memory I have of my father is preserved in a holiday snap shot taken in Durban in late 1969. I had been raised single-handedly by my mother, who also juggled a career as a nurse. With the generous help of my grandparents, I had been able to complete my BSc Honours degree in metallurgy at the then Rand Afrikaanse Universiteit in 1994. From there I worked for several years in a prospecting department of a mining company before going on to enrol for my master's degree at Wits University.

It was while at Wits during the late 1990s that I met this amazing woman from Alexandra, who was completing her doctorate in Afrikaans literature. She was also an associate lecturer in her department. Meeting Gladys was the turning point in my life. Here was an African lady, Tswana speaking, from an extremely disadvantaged background, very intelligent, mastering the language I shied, the language I called my own. The lady was so unique. She represented the exact opposite of everything I had been taught. She was threatening to undo over two decades of my sheltered, ivory-towered  upbringing.

I was staying in the Joburg CBD at the time. Eventually, Gladys and I became really close. We dated for about two years before we committed each other to a lasting relationship. We finally married in December of 2003. We have a daughter named Alexis, who is now aged six. We also have a son who is four years old. His name is Mpho, Tswana word meaning Gift.

Due to the taste of Grandpa Fanie’s beliefs and the ANK’s stance on racial matters, I involved my wife in this project from the beginning. She had been quite invaluable in reviewing miles of video footage, translating endless newsprint into English and researching more material. I have to confess here that I am less gifted with the nuances of Afrikaans grammar than my wife. Without her, and her Afrikaans gift, this project would never have come to fruition. One would’ve thought that marrying a black woman – a taboo in Grandpa Fanie’s organization – should’ve alienated me from him. That’s why there was all the brouhaha when he granted the Chroompark house to me. Everyone in the ANK's inner circle bitterly thought that I was the least deserving as I failed to live up to the organisation's expectations. This surprising gesture was totally out of the old man’s character. It was a factor that fuelled the suspected validity of his will, and the  subsequent court claim was proof to that.

With this in mind, Mr Nolan, remember that I am no writer. I believe that with the help of my wife I tried to the best of my ability to put together a convincingly apt representation of Grandpa Fanie and the ANK. I also doubt that there could be a better, real writer out there who could have justly represented my grandfather’s organization the way I tried.

Now people, especially those who denounced the ANK from its inception, often ask me why I’d go to such difficult lengths of presenting this work. It is weird, I concur. What I vehemently dispute is the relentless rumour doing the rounds that I had been an underground member of the ANK all along. If anyone should know, I voted National Party in the democratic elections of 1994. However, I switched over to the ANC in subsequent elections  even though I am not a member of the African National Congress.

Crucially, my passion for producing this work is based solely on the reasons and the desire to tell the world about my grandfather and his organization. For here was a group of a tiny Afrikaner minority, that held a belief system and political ideology so strong that it grew to clandestinely attract, at one time, a paid membership of a quarter million white people. Here was a group led by a highly educated leadership whose reasoning and policies defied liberal logic, if not at odds with progressive popular opinion. The group was unshaken in what it stood for, so steadfast that they managed to weave their cultural and political aspirations in every aspect of the Afrikaner nation, permeating the surfaces of their lives, determining what they should and shouldn't think, and controlling their behaviour. It was the passion to soldier on, regardless of whether they were right or wrong; it was the hope that one day they’d wake up to realize their dream. It was the immeasurable sacrifice which they put in so much of their work that the organisation deserves closer scrutiny.

Moreover, what was amazing about them was that this huge fight for their unique rights to determine Afrikaner nationality gained momentum well after the new democratic order. It was these resolutions that put the ANK at great odds with the general flow of the nation.

Finally, I would like to state once again that contrary to many sources, I am not looking at reviving the ANK with this work. Anyone who knows me should justly be appalled at such suggestions. As a non-writing writer (if ever there were such) I took exception and recognized that the world needed to know about my grandfather and his associates. Whether he is worthy of immortalization or condemnation is not for me to decide. Bringing this work out about him does not mean I celebrate his achievements or condone his wrongs. No: I do not idolize him. I do not glorify him. I never put him on a pedestal.

On the contrary, I remain neutral to my subject.

With that, I should say that I appreciate the professional attention you have given to the manuscript and preparing it for print. I look forward with eagerness to hearing from you.

Sincerely Yours,

Fanie Nico Bosman

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P.S. The contract you sent for the publication arrived by courier this morning. I will study it, sign it and return it to you soonest I can.

TWO

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IN EARLY JANUARY of 1996, a group of fifty hardcore Afrikaner farmers, industrialists, retailers and cultural activists descended on Mokopane, a small town formerly called Potgietersrus, that straddles the N1 Highway. All these business people – forty-nine men and one woman – had a common purpose: to participate in the formulation of a Cultural Steering Committee. The venue of the meeting was Potgietersrus Oliesaad