AKKOORD TUSSEN VRYHEIDSFRONT EN ANC, 1994
Na 1994 is die vraag of die Afrikaner weer sal opstaan soos na 1902. Stoflik en kultureel is hy in ’n veel beter posisie, hoewel armoede en ellende ook toeneem. Die vraag is egter of die wil om etniese oorlewing bestaan, en of Afrikaners hulle identiteit in ’n kwynende private kring sal probeer uitleef. Die geskiedenis handel nie lig met minderheidsgroepe sonder grondgebied of mag nie. Naas kunstefeeste en ’n algemene kulturele oplewing, is die strewe na politieke vryheid maar flou. Die vraag is of die Afrikaner oor die lang termyn kan oorleef daarsonder en of die grondslae wat vir politieke herlewing gelê is, tot iets groter sal lei.
Blanke kiesers het die onderhandelingsproses met swart bevrydingsorganisasies in ’n referendum in 1992 met twee derdes die groen lig gegee. Afrikaners wat hulle nie met magsverlies kon versoen nie, het hulleself al meer gemobiliseer. ’n Klein groepie onder die Afrikanervryheidstigting (AVSTIG), wat hulle lank reeds vir ’n “volkstaat” gebou op Afrikanerarbeid en meerderheidsbesetting beywer het, het hulle oë op ’n gebied in die Noordwes-Kaap gerig. As loodsprojek is die dorp Orania gekoop en op “volkstaatbeginsels” bedryf. Nog ’n groep het burgerlike weerstand georganiseer en beplan om ’n volkstaat uit te roep waar Afrikaners in groot getalle gekonsentreer was. Die hoogs gerespekteerde oud-hoof van die Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag het hieraan stukrag verleen toe hy ’n leiersfiguur in die nuwe Afrikanervolksfront geword het. Hierdie mense kon die proses verongeluk.
Die president van Bophutatswana, Lucas Mangope, het die Volksfront se hulp ingeroep, omdat Suid-Afrika hom wou dwing om weer daarby in te skakel. Regse ekstremiste, wat hulle aan geen bevel onderwerp het nie, het hierdie operasie verongeluk. Hulle het ook effektief die volkstaatstrewe in huidige Afrikaner konsentrasies beëindig. Generaal Viljoen, die ANC en die destydse regering het besef dat sleg ’n bevredigende skikking chaos en burgeroorlog sou voorkom. Die ANC was nie oortuig dat die volkstaatgedagte wel steun gehad het nie en daar is beloof om sekere meganismes in werking te stel, as die verkiesing op 27 April 1994 genoegsame steun sou bewys. Op grond hiervan is die Vryheidsfront as politieke party geregistreer en ’n vreedsame verkiesing is verseker:
ACCORD ON AFRIKANER SELF-DETERMINATION BETWEEN THE FREEDOM FRONT, THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT/NATIONAL PARTY
23 APRIL 1994
TAKING NOTE
Of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 200 of 1993 as amended;
And
TAKING NOTE
Of the unsigned Memorandum of Agreement between the African National Congress (ANC) and the Afrikaner Volksfront (AVF), dated December 21, 1993;
And
TAKING NOTE
Of Constitutional Principle XXXIV, dealing with the issue of self-determination;
And
SUBSEQUENT
To the discussions between the delegations of the ANC, the AVF, the South African Government and eventually the Freedom Front (FF)
The parties represented by these delegations record the following agreement:
1. The parties agree to address, through a process of negotiations, the idea of Afrikaner self-determination, including the concept of a Volkstaat.
2. The parties further agree that in the consideration of these matters, they shall not exclude the possibility of local and/or regional and other forms of expression of such self-determination.
3. They agree that their negotiations shall be guided by the need to be consistent with and shall be governed by the requirement to pay due consideration to Constitutional Principle XXXIV, other provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 200 of 1993 as amended, and that the parties take note of the Memorandum of Agreement, as referred to above.
{The Appendix to this Accord contains copies of these documents perused by the delegations.}
3.1 Such consideration shall therefore include matters such as:
3. 1 .1 substantial proven support for the idea of self-determination including the concept of a Volkstaat;
3. 1 .2 the principles of democracy, non-racialism and fundamental rights; and
3.1.3 the promotion of peace and national reconciliation.
4. The parties further agree that in pursuit of 3.1.1 above, the support for the idea of self-determination in a Volkstaat will be indicated by the electoral support which parties with a specific mandate to pursue the realisation of a Volkstaat, will gain in the forthcoming election.
4.1 The parties also agree that, to facilitate the consideration of the idea of a Volkstaat after the elections, such electoral support should be measured not only nationally, but also by counting the provincial votes at the level of:
4.1.1 the electoral district; and
4.1.2 wherever practical the polling stations as indicated by the parties to, and agreed to, by the Independent Electoral Commission.
5. The parties agree that the task of the Volkstaatraad shall be to investigate and report to the Constitutional Assembly and the Commission on the Provincial Government on measures whichbcan give effect to the idea of Afrikaner self-determination, including the concept of the Volkstaat.
6. The parties further agree that the Volkstaatraad shall form such advisory bodies as it may determine.
7. In addition to the issue of self-determination, the parties also undertake to discuss among themselves and reach agreement on matters relating to matters affecting stability in the agricultural sector and the impact of the process of transition on this sector, and also matters of stability including the issue of indemnity inasmuch as the matter has not been resolved.
8. The parties further agree that they will address all matters of concern to them through negotiations and that this shall not exclude the possibility of international mediation to help resolve such matters as may be in dispute and/or difficult to conclude.
8.1 The parties also agree that paragraph 8.0 shall not be read to mean that any of the deliberations of the Constitutional Assembly are subject to international mediation, unless the Constitutional Assembly duly amends the Constitution to enable this to happen.
8.2 The parties also affirm that, where this Accord refers to the South Africa Government, it refers to the South African Government, which rule South Africa until the April 1994-elections.
SIGNED BY:
Gen. Constand Viljoen: Leader Freedom Front
Mr. Thabo Mbeki: National Chairman: African National Congress
Mr. Roelf Meyer: Minister of Constitutional Development and of Communication of behalf of the Government and the National Party
WITNESSED BY:
Prof. Abraham Viljoen
Mr. Jurgen Kögl
APRIL 23, 1994
