Orania – On Monday, the inhabitants of the Afrikaner-exclusive town of Orania in the Northern Cape marked “Promise Day,” which is acknowledged nationwide in South Africa as the “Day of Reconciliation.”
The Promise Day festivities in Orania included local church leaders delivering sermons and leading the congregation in singing traditional Christian hymns.
While President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke in the Western Cape promoting reconciliation and unity, the Afrikaner community in Orania took time to reflect on “the commitment made by our forebears at Bloedrivier in 1838.”
Previously referred to as Dingaan Day by Afrikaans-speaking South Africans, December 16 was officially renamed Reconciliation Day after the end of apartheid in 1995.
This day serves as a national holiday designed to encourage unity among South Africans of all racial backgrounds.
For Orania’s residents, it is a commemoration of victory over black individuals and a pivotal moment in promoting Afrikaner nationalism.
On December 16, 1838, warriors under King Dingane kaSenzakakhona Zulu launched an attack on Afrikaner settlers at the banks of the Ncome River in KwaZulu-Natal.
However, the Afrikaners’ firepower defeated Dingane’s troops, resulting in the deaths of at least 3,000 warriors.
This battle turned the river red with the blood of the fallen, hence the name Blood River.
According to Orania’s official Facebook page, the day carries significant religious importance.
“Nonetheless, it also has national significance as we, the Afrikaners, have commemorated this date annually since the events of 1838.
“Each year, we praise God for the miraculous triumph granted to that group of Tractors [voortrekkers] against the formidable Zulu forces.
“In Orania, we treat the day as a Sabbath, featuring a worship service and a festival address.”
Orania was founded in 1990 by Carel Boshoff, son-in-law of apartheid architect Hendrik Verwoerd, along with other Afrikaner families.
Boshoff passed away in 2011.
Wynand Boshoff, Carel’s grandson, currently represents the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) as a Member of Parliament in Northern Cape.
Carel Boshoff’s grandfather envisioned a community for Afrikaners striving for self-determination and autonomy to inhabit together.
Statues of apartheid figures like Verwoerd and Paul Kruger prominently adorn Orania, with the old South African flag flying high above the town’s buildings.
Orania also issues its own currency known as the Ora.
The ANC-led government has, so far, tolerated the existence of Orania, and the town’s history has yet to be mentioned in the government’s Reconciliation Day speeches.
Ironically, about 700 km away in Vredendal, the Valley of Peace, President Ramaphosa was advocating for unity among all South Africans in his speech.
He declared that Reconciliation Day was an “opportunity to remember and celebrate our journey toward nation-building, healing, social justice, and forgiveness.
“This Day of Reconciliation is dedicated to ‘healing historical wounds and forging new futures’.
“Traditionally, this day – the 16th of December – has symbolized our past’s wounds.
“For some, it was a celebration of victory.
“For others, it served as a painful reminder of conquest and dispossession.
“Since the establishment of democracy, we have strived to eliminate symbols that divide us.
“We have chosen to commemorate the 16th of December as a day of reconciliation, celebrating our unity in diversity.”
Yet in Orania, as much as things may change, they remain strikingly similar.
