Orania delegation to visit AmaBhele royal family

The Afrikaner community of Orania is set to visit AmaBhele kaJamangile in the Eastern Cape in September if things go according to plan.

This comes after a visit to Orania by the office of the head of diplomatic services in the Jamangile kaMabandla’s royal family this week.

Orania is an Afrikaner town in the Northern Cape that was founded in the early 1990s.

The royal family, near Nqanqarhu (formerly Maclear), signed a recognition and co-operation agreement with AfriForum in February.

The royal family’s head of diplomatic services, Princess Bhelekazi Mabandla, said their visit to Orania had been a great experience.

“As AmaBhele kaJamangile we had an agreement we signed with AfriForum in February for agricultural development.

“This was based on the notion that we needed to start the dialogue on coexisting and cultural recognition and reconciliation.

“We were invited by AfriForum, and let me reiterate that we were guests there.

“It is not like we wrote to Orania leaders asking for a meeting,” Mabandla said.

“We did not know what to expect from the Orania people.

“We spoke about the mistakes of the past.

“We spoke about the reconciliation and that we needed a debate and to reconcile as the country.

“We have learnt that Orania people work for themselves. It is in their culture to work for themselves.

“We have agreed that we really need a dialogue and they have agreed to come to the Eastern Cape in September.”

Mabandla said they were well received by the Orania people.

“We were treated with respect,” said Mabandla.

She said they had gained wisdom from the Orania people.

“I was touched by some schoolchildren in their teenage years who requested hugs from us.

“They asked us questions and we openly answered them.

“We had an opportunity of teaching them the importance of education and being responsible.

“It was quite a good experience being there. I have learnt the fundamentals of vuk’uzenzele (get up and do it yourself) from them.

“We need to do things for ourselves and not wait for other people to do it for us. There is a lot to learn from the Orania people.”

On their Facebook page post on Tuesday, Orania explained the aim of the visit by AmaBhele kaJamangile and King Gaboilelwe (Gabo) Moroka of Seleka Barolong of Thaba’Nchu, east of Bloemfontein.

“Their request was to learn more from Orania as an example of a community that has already achieved quite a few successes on the road to growing self-determination.

“Part of the visit was of course also of a diplomatic nature. In other words, an official visit of two people from two different communities (of two different peoples) to Orania as an Afrikaner community.

“Since its establishment in 1991, and even before that date, Orania had forged relations with various communities and officials.” 

Orania council of representatives member Carel Boshoff said recognition between communities was twofold and centred on learning from each other.

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