Christen-Afrikanerperspektief op die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog

Abstract

A Christian Afrikaner perspective on the Second Liberation War

Many historical sources testify to the strong religious view of life characteristic of Afrikaners in the previous century. During the mentioned period British colonialism (imperialism) was motivated by the belief in the absolute paramouncy of the British state. The British therefore had little if any sympathy with the rights of any set of people when the interests of the Empire were at stake. Even the epithet “Boer” testifies to the fact that Afrikaners were denied their ethnic identity and were typified as lower-class citizens within the colonial population. On the other hand, during the 19th century, Afrikaners viewed themselves as a separate group of people. Furthermore, to a large extent, they equated themselves politically with the Old Testament Israel. Afrikaners accepted their independence as a gift of God Almighty, an independence accomplished and recognised by the British treaties of 1852 (1881) and 1854. Afrikaners regarded the maintaining of this independence as their religious and moral obligation. The outcome of the War, however, secularised Afrikaner politics and during the 20th century the emphasis in the New South Africa shifted from the idea of people (“volk”) to that of racial identity in an artificially unified state.