“The Afrikaners, in the end, always surprise you. For better or for worse.”
This is what historian and writer Prof. Hermann Giliomee, in conversation with history-professor, Albert Grundlingh, stated at the launch of his new book The rise and demise of the Afrikaners.
The launch was hosted by NB Publishers at Exclusive Books in Stellenbosch.
The book, described by Grundlingh as a “remarkable achievement”, examines the rise – and probable demise – of the group which once governed South Africa.
Prof. Hermann Giliomee in conversation with Prof. Albert Grundlingh at the launch of The rise and demise of the Afrikaners. PHOTO: Annerine Snyman
Both Giliomee and Grundlingh referred to Stellenbosch as a microcosm for the issues that plague the Afrikaner community – and may contribute to its ultimate demise.
“Divisions between Afrikaners still exist,” said Giliomee. He pointed to the discord between elite and working class Afrikaners and between white and brown Afrikaans-speakers. He stated that this could lead to the demise of Afrikaners.
“You won’t find many working-class Afrikaners living in Stellenbosch,” said Giliomee. “In the case of brown people, we’ve seen very little residential integration in Stellenbosch.” This signals to the larger issue of the lack of integration of brown Afrikaans-speakers into the conceptualisation of ‘Afrikaner’. “The younger generation needs new ideas, new affiliations,” he adds.
Prof. Hermann Giliomee’s latest book chronicles the rise of the Afrikaners in the 20th century and their possible demise in the 21st. PHOTO: Kara van der Berg.
A large factor in the possible demise of the Afrikaners, according to Giliomee, is that Afrikaans is not being sustained on a higher education level. “I have been very critical of Stellenbosch’s language policy. What I’m most critical of is that the [number of] brown people who are enrolled at Stellenbosch is still extremely low and that is a task that should be put on the agenda.”
Due to Stellenbosch University’s change to its language policy in 2016, Afrikaans is no longer the primary language of teaching at the institution.
Grundlingh agreed that the local brown community have not been included by Stellenbosch University. “The elite people who drive the new vision of the University do it in an unrelenting manner without incorporating the local environment.”
“The Afrikaners certainly saw their own grave at the beginning of the 20th century, now many predict the demise of the Afrikaners,” said Giliomee. “But there could be a resilience that we don’t see at the moment.”
Giliomee only thought of the title of the book after reading demographic projections that Afrikaners could make up less than 2% of the population by 2035.
Giliomee wrote his current book without a title in mind, only thinking of it after seeing demographical predictions on the population of Afrikaners. PHOTO: Kara van der Berg
Yet, Giliomee describes Afrikaners as a “strange species” and “vibrant community” who have prevailed even after losing their power.
He pointed out that the sales of Afrikaans books have increased in the last few years, as well as the viewership of Afrikaans television like kykNET. “It seems there is still a community.”
“It remains a fascinating society. You can’t predict where Afrikaners will be.”