Boerevryheid2010

Geagte Voorsitter,
Die President van die ANC, Mnr. Zuma,
geëerde volksgenote
en ander gaste,

By geleentheid het Mnr. Zuma met 'n groep Afrikaners vergader waar hy op sy bors geslaan het en verklaar het: “Ek is 'n Zoeloe!”

Mnr. Zuma, ek wil vandag verklaar; “Ek is 'n Boer”!!

Toe u verklaar het: “ek is 'n Zoeloe”, het u daar gestaan as lid van die Zoeloevolk, as 'n onderafdeling van die Nguni groep of -nasie, deel van die breër groep Swartmense in Suid-Afrika, deel van die breë Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskap en ook deel van die mense van Afrika.

Ek staan vandag hier as lid van die Boerevolk, ook binne die breër Afrikanernasie, deel van die Blankegroep, maar ook as Suid-Afrikaner, wat deel is van Afrika.


Soos die Nguni nasie se voorsate uit midde Afrika migreer het, om die Zoeloevolk aan die suidpunt van Afrika te laat ontstaan, het die Boerevolk se voorsate uit Europa migreer om die Boerevolk aan die Suidpunt van Afrika te laat ontstaan.

Soos die Zoeloevolk moes stry of “struggle” om sy staanplek en erkenning tussen die ander lede van die Nguni nasie en ander swart en wit stamme te verkry, moes die Boerevolk tot vandag toe, stry of “struggle” om sy staanplek tussen die breër Afrikanernasie, ander Blankes en Nie-Blankes, hier aan die Suidpunt van Afrika te verkry.

Nadat 'n afvaardiging van die Boerevolk die Majuba deklarasie aan die voormalige Speaker, en huidige voorsitter van die Uitvoerende Komitee van die ANC, Me Baleka Mmakota Mbete oorhandig het, het sy 'n Memorandum onderteken wat die volgende (uittreksel) bevat:
* "There is a distinction between them and the Afrikaners;
* "They are a section [a people within] of the Afrikaner community;
* "What distinguishes them from Afrikaners is culture. They have their own common culture and customs, which makes them a volk.
* "They were not involved in the institutionalization of apartheid even if they were the beneficiaries;
* “They are different from the Broederbond".

Net soos die Zoeloes die grond van sy voorvaders met bloed moes verdedig, moes die Boerevolk ook die grond van sy voorvaders met bloed verdedig het. Die Zoeloes moes hulle teen die Britse Koloniale onderdrukkers verset en was gedwing om oorlog te maak toe Brittanje die Zoeloes se grond wou afneem. Die Boerevolk moes om dieselfde rede hom ook teen die Britse Koloniale onderdrukkers verset en oorlog maak. Die was ? geskiedkundige fout, en ek haal weer Mnr. Zuma aan, ”dat die Boere nie die Zoeloes teen die Britte gaan help het nie en die Zoeloes ook nie die Boere teen die Britse koloniale onderdrukkers gehelp het nie.”

Net soos die Zoeloes inheems is in Suid-Afrika, en geen aanspraak maak op enige ander grondgebied buite Suid-Afrika nie, stel ek dit baie duidelik dat die Boerevolk in murg en been en bloed, ook deel is van die grond in Suid-Afrika en ek wil dit vandag onomwonde stel: “Die Boerevolk is inheems in Suid-Afrika en gaan nie, soos baie ander Blankes en Afrikaners, uit hierdie land padgee nie. Suid-Afrika is ook die Boerevolk se bodem en almal moet kennis neem: die Boerevolk is hier om te bly!”
Die Zoeloes en die Boere het al teen mekaar oorlog gemaak en ook ooreenkomste en traktate met mekaar gesluit. Dit lê in die geskiedenis. Wat ek wel kan sê, en u weet dit, is dat die Boerevolk nooit oor die Zoeloes, of oor ander volkere of stamme wou regeer nie. Selfs na militêre oorwinnings, is aan die oorwonne groepe die reg gegee om oor hulle self, verder te regeer. Die Boerevolk wil nie oor andere regeer nie, ons wil slegs die reg hê om oor onsself te regeer. Hierdie behoefte is 'n basiese reg, word in verskeie artikels van die Grondwet vervat en word reeds geïmplementeer t.o.v. ander groepe wat hul eie tradisionele leiers en tradisionele owerhede het. Ons wil egter vandag voorstel dat daar in die grondwet, voorsiening gemaak word vir Rade wat spesifieke Volke op 'n amptelike vlak verteenwoordig en dat daar 'n platform geskep word waar hierdie Rade konstruktief inspraak het.
Ek verwys na die geskiedenis, maar ons is vandag hier om met mekaar oor die toekoms te praat. Die toekoms van 'n Nuwe Suid-Afrika, die Suid-Afrika van die 21ste eeu. Ek wil graag my dank betuig aan Mnr. Zuma dat hy die geleentheid hiervoor geskep het. Tyd gemaak het tussen al sy persoonlike verpligtinge, politieke- en juridiese krisisse.
Die huidige misdaad, korrupsie, verval van dienste, plaasmoorde en Kulturele onderdrukking van die Boerevolk, lei tot onsekerheid, onstabiliteit en spanning in die land. Hierdie spanning is besig om te kulmineer soos 'n vuurspuwende berg wat enige oomblik kan uitbars in 'n onbeheerbare krisis en 'n kookpot van anargie. Niemand van ons wil dit laat gebeur nie. Allermins die Boerevolk.

Mnr. Zuma, toe u uself as ?'nZoeloe verklaar het, het u daar gestaan as 'n man wat voorheen aangekla was omdat u weens liefde vir u eie mense, vryheid vir hulle nagestreef het. Ek staan ook vandag voor u omdat ek die Boerevolk lief het en daarvan aangekla word, dat ek die Boerevolk se Vryheid nastreef.
Maar net soos u, wil ek nie die bodem waarop ons bestaan, of die mense wat saam met my op die bodem leef, te na kom nie. Net soos u, gun ek ook die ander inheemse volke, stamme en groepe, 'n plek onder die son aan die Suidpunt van Afrika.

Dit is daarom net reg dat die Boerevolk deel van vandag se gesprek is. Ek beskou hierdie kongres as 'n geskiedkundige oomblik op die pad na wedersydse respek, begrip en erkenning. Laat dit die begin wees van die uitbouing van 'n toekoms van groter stabiliteit, vooruitgang, lewenskwaliteit, vir alle volke, stamme, groepe en nasies, 'n toekoms gekenmerk deur vrede in Suid-Afrika en ook in Suider-Afrika.

Ek dank u.

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Honourable Chairperson,
The President of the ANC, Mr Zuma,
fellow Afrikaners and
other distinguished guests

Once at a meeting with a group of Afrikaners, Mr Zuma pounded his chest and proclaimed: “I am a Zulu.”

Mr Zuma, I want to proclaim today: “I am a Boer!”

When you made the statement “I am a Zulu,” you did so as a Zulu, also as a member of the Nguni people, a Black South African, but also part of the South African community, indigenous to Africa.

Similarly, I stand before you today as a Boer, a representative of the Boerevolk, a member of the Afrikaner nation, a White South African and undeniably indigenous to Africa.

As the Nguni people migrated from central Africa to establish themselves as the Zulu people in Southern Africa, the European forefathers of the Boerevolk migrated to Southern Africa to establish the Boerevolk.

The wars and skirmishes fought by Zulus for recognition within the Nguni peoples, and with other Black and White rivals, mirror the struggle of the Boerevolk to stand firm and establish themselves within the Afrikaner nation and amongst other ethnic groups.

Me. Baleka Mmakota Mbete, the current Chairperson of the National Executive Committee of the ANC, issued a Memorandum after the visit of a Boerevolk delegation during her term as Speaker of Parliament. I quote the following excerpt:

• “There is a distinction between them (the Boerevolk) and the Afrikaners;
• They (the Boerevolk) are a section within [a people within] the Afrikaner community;
• What distinguishes them (the Boerevolk) from Afrikaners is culture. They have their own common culture and customs, which makes them a volk;
• They were NOT involved in the institutionalization of apartheid even if they were the beneficiaries;
• “They are different” from the Broederbond.”

The Zulus fought and paid for their heritage and the land of their forefathers. They defended their ancestral land when British Colonial forces invaded it. Similarly, the Boerevolk shed blood for the same reasons and defended their ancestral land against British Colonial rule.

It is a historical mistake, and again I quote Mr Zuma, “that the Boers did not assist the Zulus in their struggle against the British, and the Zulus did not fight with the Boers in the war for freedom against the British.”

The Zulus are indigenous to South Africa and do not claim any territory outside its borders. I want to state irrefutably that the culture of the Boerevolk is firmly anchored in South African soil, and that we too, make no claim to territory outside these borders. We belong to this country and this continent and will not, like so many other Afrikaners and White people, flee from here. “Die Boerevolk is hier om te bly!”

History tells us that at times the Zulus and Boers warred against each other, and at other times concluded treaties with each other. We – the Boerevolk – never ruled over other people, even in victory following warfare. We do not want to rule over others now, we only want dominion of ourselves. This inherent need, firmly entrenched in our Constitution, is already an acknowledged right for groups with Traditional leaders and authorities. We want to propose, therefore, that an addendum to the Constitution is made to enable Councils for indigenous Peoples and “Volke” to participate in a forum or platform where such Councils would have effective representation.

The purpose of this congress, however, is not to dwell on the past but to talk about the present and future. We thank Mr Zuma who, despite a pressing schedule of personal appointments and amidst political and judicial pressures, created the opportunity for us to do so.

All of us here today realise that the continuing escalation of crime, corruption, deterioration of services, farm murders and cultural suppression of the Boerevolk can only increase uncertainty, tension and instability. It is of grave concern that racial tensions seem to be gaining ground again. There is little doubt that the continuation of what is seen as blatant disregard for the moral and ethical values of society is creating resistance of volcano-like proportions that could erupt into an uncontrollable force of violence and anarchy. Nobody wants this to happen, least of all the Boerevolk.

Mr Zuma, when you declared yourself a Zulu, you stood there as a person, previously accused of crimes allegedly committed in your love for, and your strive for freedom for your people. Similarly I stand accused as a person with the same love of the Boerevolk and also striving for their freedom.

Neither you then, nor I now, want to harm this country or the people who share this land with us. Like you, and I am sure most South Africans, we want to live in peace alongside all other indigenous people under the South African sun.

It is therefore right and just that the Boerevolk is part of today’s congress. This congress can mark a historical turning point on our way to mutual respect, recognition and understanding. Let history refer to this day as the beginning of a future of stability, prosperity and quality of life for all groups, tribes, peoples and nations in South Africa, and the Southern African region.
I thank you.
Lets Pretorius
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Dr. Johan (Lets) Pretorius (President of the BVR)