Afrikaner Values in Post-Apartheid South Africa: an Anthropological Perspective

AFRIKANER VALUES IN POST-APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA: AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE WRITTEN BY: JAN PETRUS VAN DER MERWE NOVEMBER 2009 ii AFRIKANER VALUES IN POST-APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA: AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE BY JAN PETRUS VAN DER MERWE STUDENT NUMBER: 2005076118 This thesis/dissertation was submitted in accordance with the conditions and requirements for the degree of: Ph.D. in the Faculty of the Humanities Department of Anthropology University of the Free State Bloemfontein Supervisor: Prof. P.A. Erasmus Department of Anthropology University of the Free State Bloemfontein iii DECLARATION I, Jan Petrus van der Merwe, herewith declare that this thesis, which was submitted in fulfilment of the requirements pertaining to my doctorate in Anthropology at the University of the Free State, is my own independent work. Furthermore, I declare that this thesis has never been submitted at any other university or tertiary training centre for academic consideration. In addition, I hereby cede all copyright in respect of my doctoral thesis to the University of the Free State. .............................................................. ................................... JAN PETRUS VAN DER MERWE DATUM iv INDEX DESCRIPTION PAGE PREAMBLE 1 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 5 1.1 Problem statement and objectives 5 1.2 Clarification of concepts 7 1.2.1 Values as an aspect of culture 7 1.2.2 Values as identity 11 1.2.3 Values as narrative 14 1.2.4 Religion values as part of Afrikaner identity 16 1.2.5 Values as morality 17 1.2.6 Culture and identification 18 1.3 Value of the study 21 CHAPTER TWO: RESEARCH PRACTICE 22 2.1 Introduction 22 2.2 Insider perspective 23 2.3 Scientific-Philosophical grounding of the study 25 2.4 Research paradigm 28 2.5 Research process 29 2.5.1 Data collection 29 2.5.2 Data capturing 31 2.5.3 Unfolding and interpretation of the data 32 2.5.4 Trustworthiness and validity 34 2.5.5 Presentation of data 35 2.6 Geographical area of research 37 2.7 The research group 46 v DESCRIPTION PAGE 2.8 Ethics 46 2.9 Nature of the research results 47 2.10 Conclusion 48 CHAPTER THREE: PUBLISHED ARTICLES: INTRODUCTION 49 Article 1: Values as cultural aspect of Afrikaners 51 1.1 Introduction 52 1.2 Values as an aspect of culture 53 1.3 The Afrikaner of the pre-1994 context 61 1.3.1 The origin of the Afrikaners 61 1.3.2 Values-choices of Afrikaners within the pre-1994 context 66 1.4 The intrinsic value-choices of the Afrikaner of the post-1994 context 67 1.5 Conclusion 69 Article 2: Values as part of the Afrikaner identity 73 2.1 Introduction 74 2.2 Values as identity 75 2.3 Who is the Afrikaner? 78 2.4 The Afrikaner’s value-choices within the pre-1994 context 86 2.5 The Afrikaner’s identity within the pre-1994 context 88 2.6 The Afrikaner’s value-choices within the post-1994 context 90 2.7 The Afrikaner’s identity within the post-1994 context 91 2.8 Conclusion 92 vi DESCRIPTION PAGE Article 3: An Anthropological perspective on Afrikaner narratives 93 and myths 3.1 Introduction 94 3.2 Values as narrative 95 3.3 Myths as part of the Afrikaner narrative 97 3.4 Development of the Afrikaner 99 3.5 Afrikaner narrative and myths in the pre-1994 era 107 3.6 Afrikaner narrative and myths in the post-1994 era 107 3.7 Conclusion 111 Article 4: Religion as part of Afrikaner identity 113 4.1 Introduction 114 4.2 Religion as identity 114 4.3 The religious origins of the Afrikaner 118 4.4 The Afrikaner and their church in the post-Apartheid era 123 4.5 Conclusion 127 Article 5: Morality as part of Afrikaner values 133 5.1 Introduction 134 5.2 Values as an aspect of culture 136 5.3 Values as morality 137 5.4 Afrikaner culture 141 5.5 The impact of post-Apartheid South Africa on the morality 144 of the Afrikaner 5.6 Conclusion 149 CHAPTER FOUR: CUMULATIVE CONCLUSION 151 vii DESCRIPTION PAGE Bibliography 156 Annexure 1: Respondents: Profiles of informants 180 Annexure 2: Empirical research results 192 Annexure 3: List of cultural, religious and political leaders who served 221 as informants Annexure 4: Correspondence: Letters attached of acceptance of the 222 five articles for publication for this study SUMMARY 231 OPSOMMING 233 PREAMBLE Pfänder (1963:12) and Strauss (1973:130), points out that human thought processes relating to concepts are usually accompanied by representations of Gegenstände (arguments). It is not concepts in themselves, but rather the actual human thought processes in respect thereof, that bring an objectified logical multiplicity into a subjective-logical unity through a correlative process, by means of concepts (in judgements). Although it would seem, on the one hand, that judgements presuppose concepts in a logical sense, it also appears, on the other hand, that the possibility of outlining a concept in terms of a definition implies that such a concept is the result of a judgement, and that it can still be converted back into a judgment. Viewed in terms of a correlative subjective-logical combination (synthesis) of an implicitly logical, objectified multiplicity, all judgements can be said to be analytical as well as synthetic, in a logical sense. It can also be added – almost tautologically – that only definable concepts can be defined. In other words, the relevant moment on which the focus falls, is the relationship between the concept (usually identified with the word that is being defined) and the conceptual object, on the one hand, and the definition, on the other. In this relationship, the modal, logical subject-object relation comes explicitly to the fore. In the South African context, “Afrikaner” – along with “Afrikanerhood” – is a politically loaded concept. In this regard, reference can be made to several prominent anthropological discourses (cf. Coertze 1973:61; Comaroff 2004:188; Erasmus 2003:1-5; Sharp 1981:22-23 and 2006:17-22) regarding the origin, composition, commonalities and establishment of Afrikaners within the broader South African context. On the basis of the above-mentioned, the author formulate a conceptual definition of the term “Afrikaner”, with a view to creating a point of departure (paradigm) for this study. For the purposes of this study, Afrikaners, although not homogeneous, are viewed as a group of persons, of primarily European descent, who possess an own language and share the same historical orientations, and who have a specific manner of self- representation with regard to the latter. The setting (the southernmost tip of Africa) in 2 which the Afrikaners originated was of especial importance; and their place of origin made a significant contribution to their identity. The more constant aspects of the concept, “Afrikaner”, include the characteristics of continuity and sameness, and the functional context thereof. The context of the concept “Afrikaner” is complex, and should not be restricted to a single point of departure; it includes the society (with all its different communities), the economy, politics and the relevant histories. It would thus be impossible to investigate the identity of Afrikaners as a consistent phenomenon, without also considering the social, economic and historical contexts. The dynamic aspects of the Afrikaners’ identity, refers fluidity to the experiencing of continuity by the members of the Afrikaner group, who are eager to identify themselves as Afrikaners. In other words, it is the subjective appropriation of the objective aspect of continuity. However, as in the case of the constant aspects of any other identity, the dynamic aspects also resides in the cognitive, psychological and emotional dimension of the society, as well as in the economy, politics and historic basis of the society. This approach does not resolve all our problems relating to the understanding of terms such as Afrikaner identity (ethnicity); but it does clarify the method that should be followed – firstly, by making us aware (and keeping us aware) of the fact that human beings can inevitably focus on only one aspect of a phenomenon at a time, and secondly, by reminding us that the relationships between various aspects of the phenomenon should also be taken into account. This study does not proceeds from the primordial assumption that the existence of “Afrikaners” and of an “Afrikaner culture” is an unproblematic, given factor; that is to say, that the existence of an Afrikaner ethnos with a clear, distinguishable identity and culture is an indisputable “fact”. However, it is only within a specific social, political, categorical, economic and gender-related context that the phenomenon of “Afrikaners” has any real meaning. The specific context in which the notion of an “Afrikaner” was formulated, is one in which “Afrikaners” comprise a minority group in South Africa, and in which the so-called “white” Afrikaners enjoyed all the political, economical and social powers and advantages in this country during the apartheid era (pre-1994), and also in 3 which – with the establishment of the New South Africa (post-1994) – they forfeited all these powers and advantages in the process of democratisation and normalisation. The process of restructuring and transformation of the broader South African society which has been in full force since 1994 has brought about radical changes for the Afrikaner. In an egalitarian post-apartheid milieu, coupled with the irresistible 21st- century forces of globalisation and market alignment, the essential attributes of the Afrikaner character are being engulfed for the sake of transformation, the New South Africa and nation-building; and the identity of the Afrikaner is being irrevocably redefined, and possibly even eroded. In terms of their numbers, Afrikaners have always been in the minority in their locality (South Africa).

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