On November 18, 2006, history was made when people who prefer to call themselves the Boerevolk (Boer Nation) and persons who prefer to call themselves Afrikaners, participated together in a joint VOLK PROTEST PARADE.
The parade followed a route of approximately 6 kilometers from the Pretoria Showgrounds, around Church Square, and up to the Union Buildings. It was a colorful sight of flags, horses, motorcycles, and pick-up trucks, with the sounds of the popular hit-song, “De la Rey- De la Rey” ringing out loud. (De la Rey was a popular Boer leader who was asked to lead the Boerevolk forces during the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902, at a time when a leader was sorely needed. He later became a famous Boer General.)During a short ceremony at the Union Buildings, several grievances and short messages were brought to the attention of the South African Government. A message from New York in the USA and from Iceland was read, amongst others.
On October 10, a final letter had been written to Mbeki informing him that judicial proceedings had been instituted against him for human rights violations against the Volk on various terrains, and warning him to place a moratorium on all land expropriations (land-grabs), until the claim for independence of the Boerevolk, as contained in the Majuba Declaration, had been finalized. No reaction had been received from the South African Government before the deadline of November 15. In the document handed over on Saturday, Mbeki was finally warned. The process will now be resumed to legally enforce a moratorium on land expropriation.
The demands were handed to a representative of the South African Government with the rank of Director in the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Affairs.The parade was well-covered by the media. Inter alia, two journalists from Italy attended the proceedings and afterwards contributed very positive comments.
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The orange & white striped flag in the middle of the boys in the third picture is the Orange Free State flag. Also known as the Oranje Vry Staat Vierkleur. This is the most striking Boer flag in my opinion. It was modeled loosely on the American national flag as other flags of the period were as well. The Orange Free State was defeated along with the Transvaal Republic (ZAR) as a result of the OFS having entered into a political & military pact with the ZAR prior to the outbreak of war. The ZAR was conquered for its gold as well being viewed as competition to British interests in the region while the OFS was conquered mainly as a result of having sided with the ZAR against the British forces. One could wonder what the position of the Boers might have been today if the OFS had decided to remain neutral. Though President Marthinus Steyn tried hard to prevent war with Britain -in the end he decided that he "would rather lose the independence of the Free State with honour, than to keep it in dishonour and disloyalty." Coming to the aid of the ZAR was seen as a matter of principle & he remained in the fight against British imperialism long after others began to give up. The OFS capital of Bloemfontein is still one of the major cultural centers of the Boerevolk. There are a number of significant monuments & museums in the now Free State province which are significant & relevant to the Boerevolk & of great historical importance to the region.
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