Latest news with #Boers
IOL News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
ATM's proposal to rename South Africa as Azania: What does it mean and how do South Africans feel about it?
ATM proposed to change the country's name to Republic of Azania. The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has announced its intention to table a proposal before Parliament and the Constitutional Review Committee to rename South Africa as the Republic of Azania. According to the party, the move is a part of a broader project of national decolonisation. The proposal has sparked debate across political, public and social media spheres. ATM president and parliamentary leader Vuyo Zungula argues that the name South Africa is a colonial imposition, created through the Union of South Africa in 1910 by the British and the Boers. 'Before 1652, we were not South Africans,' he said. 'The name comes from a colonial structure created to further the oppression of indigenous people. It is time we reclaim our identity.' Zungula went further to draw comparisons with other post-colonial nations—such as Namibia (formerly South West Africa)—that changed colonial-era names to reflect local history and pride.
The Citizen
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Refreshed proposal for South Africa name change sparks debate
A YEARS-old proposal to change South Africa's name is back in the spotlight as political parties plan to approach Parliament on the matter. According to media reports, the African Transformation Movement (ATM) is spearheading the proposal, supported by other political parties. ALSO READ: uMhlathuze workers' strike suspended pending negotiations The Republic of Azania is the proposed name change. As quoted in Business Tech, ATM argues that the name South Africa is deeply tied to the country's colonial and oppressive past. 'Before 1652, we were not South Africans. The name 'South Africa' came as a result of the British and the Boers coming together to form what was called the Union of South Africa, a structure designed to further the oppression of indigenous people,' said ATM parliamentary leader Vuyo Zungula, as quoted by Business Tech. ALSO READ: Join Zululand's own Survivor star and donate blood this Mandela Day 'All formerly colonised nations, like South West Africa, have changed their names. We now know it to be Namibia,' he explained. Not everyone agrees, however, with political analyst Kenneth Mokgatlhe saying 'South Africa' is merely a geographical description. 'Other countries like South Sudan, Central African Republic, North Macedonia, East Timor, and North and South Korea also use geographical identifiers. It's nothing out of the ordinary,' Mokgatlhe told Business Tech. He went so far as to say the name 'Azania' 'lacks authentic historical, cultural, political or linguistic connections to South Africa and its people, reinforcing doubts about its relevance and appropriateness as a national name'. Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Top 10 stories of the day: Remembering Mabuza
Here's your daily news update for Friday, 4 July 2025: An easy-to-read selection of our top stories. News today includes among the many memories of former deputy president David 'DD' Mabuza will be his slick political moves and pulling the rug out from under the Radical Economic Transformation (RET) faction of the ANC. Meanwhile, as the country battles with only one driver's licence card machine, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy says her department has struck an agreement with the Government Printing Works to provide a backup if the existing fault-prone machine is out of service. Furthermore, director of rugby and head coach Jake White and the Bulls have mutually agreed to part ways. Weather tomorrow: 5 July 2025 Parts of the Cape provinces will be hit by severe weather, including heavy rain, snow, and strong waves, while inland provinces face chilly but stable conditions. Full weather forecast here. Stay up to date with The Citizen – More News, Your Way. Remembering Mabuza: The man who 'dashed' the potential Zuma dynasty Among the many memories of former deputy president David 'DD' Mabuza will be his slick political moves and pulling the rug out from under the Radical Economic Transformation (RET) faction of the ANC. Mabuza died on Thursday after a prolonged battle with ill health. He was accused of corruption and political violence, allegations which he denied. David Mabuza, right, with President Cyril Ramaphosa. Picture: Gallo Images In 2017, Mabuza was the chairperson of the ANC in Mpumalanga and an influential figure in the party as it headed into its 54th national elective conference. CONTINUE READING: Remembering Mabuza: The man who 'dashed' the potential Zuma dynasty From South Africa to Azania? Name change proposal sparks debate The Republic of Azania is what South Africa could be called, following a proposal by a political party to change the country's name. The African Transformation Movement (ATM) and other political parties have opened a debate about changing South Africa's name to the Republic of Azania. South Africa, Picture: iStock The ATM, which hopes to table the proposal in parliament, argues that South Africa is a colonial label imposed by the British and the Boers. CONTINUE READING: From South Africa to Azania? Name change proposal sparks debate Creecy signs agreement to provide backup for ailing driver's licence card machine As the country battles with only one driver's licence card machine, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy says her department has struck an agreement with the Government Printing Works to provide a backup if the existing fault-prone machine is out of service. Creecy shared the details during her budget speech delivered at the transport department budget vote in Parliament on Wednesday. Transport Minister Barbara Creecy. Picture: GCIS South Africa's only driver's licence card printer has been plagued by breakdowns. CONTINUE READING: Creecy signs agreement to provide backup for ailing driver's licence card machine 'Police are the chief criminal syndicate': Saps R120bn budget criticised by MPs MPs have sharply criticised the police's budget, with several voicing concerns over persistent corruption in the South African Police Service (Saps). On Friday, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu presented the department's budget for the 2025-2026 financial year at the Good Hope Chamber in Cape Town. Police Minister Senzo Mchunu. Picture: Gallo Images The presentation was followed by a debate in which MPs scrutinised both the spending plan and annual performance targets. CONTINUE READING: 'Police are the chief criminal syndicate': Saps R120bn budget criticised by MPs 'Time for a new voice' as White and Bulls part ways Director of rugby and head coach Jake White and the Bulls have mutually agreed to part ways. This was after he allegedly fell out of favour with several players and coaches at the Pretoria union in recent weeks. Jake White is no longer the director of rugby at the Bulls. Picture: Gallo Images The Bulls board held a meeting on Friday to determine his future, finding no reason for the 2007 World Cup-winning coach to stay on even though he was contracted until 2027. CONTINUE READING: Confirmed: 'Time for a new voice' as White and Bulls part ways Here are five more stories of the day: Yesterday's News recap READ HERE: RIP David Mabuza | Driver nabbed with 80 Zim nationals | Hey Neighbour postponed
The Citizen
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Proposal to change name of South Africa to Republic of Azania
The ATM, which hopes to table the proposal in parliament, argues that South Africa is a colonial label imposed by the British and the Boers. The Republic of Azania is what South Africa could be called, following a proposal by a political party to change the country's name. The African Transformation Movement (ATM) and other political parties have opened a debate about changing South Africa's name to the Republic of Azania. Azania The ATM, which hopes to table the proposal in parliament, argues that South Africa is a colonial label imposed by the British and the Boers. ATM leader Vuyo Zungula said the name change is about reclaiming identity and restoring heritage. 'South Africa is still a colonised name because before 1652, we were not South Africans. The name South Africa came as a result of the British and the Boers coming to club together and forming what is called the Union of South Africa. 'They are working together for the oppression of the indigenous people… We must not be conditioned to subscribe to a colonial identity given to us by colonisers and oppressors,' Zungula said. ALSO READ: EFF wants SA renamed Azania, says Shivambu 'Renaming SA necessary' Zungula believes that renaming the country is a necessary step toward reclaiming national pride and restoring cultural heritage. 'Other countries have done it. Take South West Africa, for example. It is now Namibia. We should not have to cling to a name given to us by colonisers.' 'No success' North West University professor and political analyst Andre Duvenhage said the name change has no prospects of success. 'It's definitely not going to be accepted easily. You will need a two-thirds majority, maybe six of the nine provinces as well, and it will come with a huge cost on all levels. 'Think about it, we need to change all the ID documents, all the driver's licenses, all the passports, just to mention literally the tip of the iceberg, so I think it is controversial, each chance of success? Not very strong,' Duvenhage said. ALSO READ: WATCH: Joburg mayor gives update on Sandton Drive rename Why Azania? Duvenhage said the concept of Azania is associated with East Africa, specifically the dry, arid lands of countries like Somalia and parts of Kenya. 'It was also picked up in the literature of the Roman Empire, as well as the Arab literature. I think in Jewish it has a link to the land of God, but it was picked up in the South African context within the black consciousness context. 'It is seen as a land of the Black people. And taking this as your point of departure, it's basically an attempt to get rid of the colonial heritage. It's part of the process that is well known in South Africa, that of name changes, you raising the colonial history, and so it's coming from a radical background,' Duvenhage said. PAC Duvenhage said the proposal to rename South Africa to the Republic of Azania also stems from the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) that South Africa should be renamed 'Azania'. 'It was also named by the PAC, so it is an established name in the South African context, but without any doubt it is very exclusive and it's excluding colonial, slash, in this case white people, and I cannot see this as an attempt to bring together South Africans'. Political climate Duvenhage said the ATM's proposal is also part of the current political climate in the country. 'I think it is also part of the climate we are in at the moment, a climate where we know that we need change. Changes are on the cards, we saw the polarisation within the government of national unity, the so-called national dialogue that needs to kick off, so it seems as if the political process is opening, 'But I'm also picking up that politicians are putting up a flyer, to test the political winds of change and see how people will react to this,' Duvenhage said. While the name South Africa is descriptive of a geographic location, the name gives a strong cultural, political, and historical connection that reminds citizens of different epochs in the country's history and how it interacted with other countries. NOW READ: Former SA deputy president David Mabuza has died
IOL News
01-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Liberation History: AfriForum's Desperate Bid to Distort Struggle Heritage
Then Deputy President Thabo Mbeki (R) hands over the African National Congress (ANC) submission to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), in Cape Town May on 12, 1997. Anyone who claims that singing "Kill the boer, Kill the farmer' is tantamount to declaring war against the Boers is irrational, unreasonable, and disingenuous, says the writer. Image: AFP Prof. Bheki Mngomezulu THE recent trip by President Cyril Ramaphosa and his delegation to America produced different results for different people. The official position from the government is that the trip was meant to restart trade relations between South Africa and America. As such, proponents of this view argue that the trip was a huge success. However, a counterview is that the trip caused more harm than good to South Africa's global image. According to this view, some of the utterances made at the Oval Office were unwarranted, factually flawed, and devoid of context. Apart from the questionable pictures of the graves which allegedly carried the bodies of Afrikaners killed in South Africa (who were not from South Africa), there were other developments which happened in that meeting. One of them was when Agriculture Minister John Steenhuizen told President Trump that the reason for the DA to join the coalition government led by Ramaphosa was solely to keep the EFF and MKP away from the Union Buildings. This raised questions about the honesty in the formation of the coalition government. The climax of the Oval Office meeting was when Trump played a video of Julius Malema singing his famous song 'Kill the Boer, the Farmer' and the other song which was sung by former President Jacob Zuma, which says 'Sizobadubula ngo mbayimbayi' [We are going to shoot them with artillery]. I will focus on Julius Malema's song because it is the one that has caused controversy. Even people who are supposed to know better fell into the trap of Trump's propaganda. The question becomes: does this song represent symbolic relevance or is it a violation of human rights and an instigator of racial violence? To answer this question, political expediency and political parochialism will not offer any assistance. Only objectivity, rationality, and context will assist in arriving at a credible conclusion. Firstly, this is a struggle song which was not composed by Malema. The late Peter Mokaba used to sing this song and dance but he never killed any Boer or Afrikaner. In fact, as he sang this song, no one went on a rampage killing Afrikaners following the song's lyrics. So, anyone who claims that singing this song is tantamount to declaring war against the Boers is irrational, unreasonable, and disingenuous. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Secondly, there have already been rulings on the singing of this song. Between 2016 and 2019, Malema sang this song six times on different occasions. In 2020, Afriforum approached the Gauteng Equality Court asking it to declare the song hate speech. The court dismissed this claim. Exercising its right, AfriForum proceeded to the Supreme Court of Appeal to try its luck. To this organisation's surprise, on 24 May 2024, the Supreme Court dismissed AfriForum's appeal. In its judgement, the Court stated that 'Mr Malema was doing no more than exercising his right to freedom of expression.' It went further to implore AfriForum to see the song in its correct context. In a nutshell, the Court implicitly concluded that AfriForum was driven by political expediency when it laid charges against Malema, not to unite the nation. There was no intention to get justice. Instead, the motivating factor was for AfriForum to be seen as being politically relevant. Not even the Constitutional Court could agree with the argument advanced by Afriforum. It dismissed Afriforum's application for leave to appeal, arguing that the application 'bears no reasonable prospects of success.' Out of desperation, AfriForum approached President Ramaphosa asking him to condemn the singing of the song. The organisation was once again disappointed when Ramaphosa referred it to the courts which had already ruled on the matter. Given this history, a few questions arise. Why did Trump play Malema's video singing this song? Was his intention to prove that Afrikaners are being killed in South Africa or was he simply playing a mind's game to test Ramaphosa's delegation? To what extent did Ramaphosa and his team rise above such petty politics? Was the President correct in telling Trump that 'this is not the view of government' and that Malema's EFF was not part of the coalition government? Was this necessary? A nation which abandons its history is as good as dead. It is for this reason that some universities in America insist that regardless of the qualifications students are pursuing, they are forced to take some history modules. This is done to ensure that they do not operate in a vacuum but understand the historical context. Struggle songs are part of the South African heritage. They remind all of us about the history of this country. South Africa became a democracy in 1994. However, to this day, the song 'Mhla libuyayo kuyobe kunzima' [when our land comes back, it will be tough] is still being sung for different reasons. It continues to say 'kuyokhala uBotha, kuqhume umbayimbayi' [there will be a cry from Botha, and there will be an explosion of artillery].
