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White South Africans

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White South African
Sharlto Copley Charlize Theron
File:John Smit 2007 med.jpgHelen Zille
Sharlto Copley · Charlize Theron · Trevor Immelman · John Smit · J. M. Coetzee · Helen Zille
Total population
4,472,100 (2009; excluding those abroad)
Regions with significant populations
Throughout South Africa, but concentrated in urban areas
Gauteng1,920,000
Western Cape980,000
KwaZulu-Natal450,000
Eastern Cape300,000
Free State270,000
Mpumalanga250,000
North West240,000
Limpopo110,000
Northern Cape110,000
Languages
Afrikaans (59%), English (39%), Other (mostly Portuguese) 1%
Religion
Christianity (87%), no religion (9%), Judaism (1%)

White South African is a term which refers to people from South Africa who are of Caucasian descent. In linguistic, cultural and historical terms, they are generally divided into the Afrikaans-speaking descendants of mainly Dutch settlers, known as Afrikaners, and the English-speaking Anglo-Africans who share an Anglophone background (mostly of British and Irish descent). White South Africans differ significantly from other former white African ethnic groups due to not only their much larger presence but because they have evolved into a different nation, such as the Afrikaners which established a separate language, culture and church. They also differ as potentially (along with Namibia) being the last major white African ethnic group on the African continent. Their role in South Africa economy and politics has remained, which differs from the black majority rule in countries such as Kenya where whites retreated from the political spectrum.[citation needed]

Background

Demographics

Statistics South Africa estimated that, as of July 2009, there were about 4,472,100 white people in South Africa, amounting to 9.1% of the country's population.[1] Roughly 59% of white South Africans speak Afrikaans as their mother language and about 39% speak English.[2] Speakers of Afrikaans refer to themselves as Afrikaners. Unlike the Afrikaners, the English speakers have not constituted a coherent political or cultural entity in South Africa. Hence, the absence of a commonly accepted term to designate them, although 'English South African' or 'English-speaking South African' is used (see Anglo-African).

Approximately 87% of white South Africans are Christian, 9% have no religion, and 1% are Jewish. The largest Christian denomination is the Dutch Reformed Church, with 34% of the white population being members. Other significant denominations are the Methodist Church (8%), the Roman Catholic Church (7%), and the Anglican Church (6%).[3]

Many white people have migrated to South Africa from other parts of Africa following the independence of those African nations or when those nations became hostile to them. Many Portuguese from Mozambique and Angola and white Zimbabweans emigrated to South Africa when their respective countries became independent. South Africa also remains a prime destination amongst British emigrants. Meanwhile, many white South Africans also emigrated to Western countries over the past two decades, mainly to English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, with others settling in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil.

Distribution

White South Africans as a proportion of the total population.

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Density of the White South African population.

Column-generating template families

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Type Family
Handles wiki
table code?†
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According to Statistics South Africa, white Africans make up about 9.1% (July 2009) of the total population in South Africa[1]. Major cities in South Africa themselves actually have a white majority while the municipality they lie in has a black majority due to the inclusion of neighboring townships. Their actual proportional share in municipalities is likely to be higher, given the undercount in the 2001 census[4].

The following table shows the distribution of white people by province, according to the Community Survey 2007[5]:

Province White population Percentage of total
Eastern Cape 304,342 4.7
Free State 266,555 9.6
Gauteng 1,923,829 18.4
KwaZulu-Natal 452,224 4.4
Limpopo 114,708 2.2
Mpumalanga 249,326 6.8
North West 236,467 7.2
Northern Cape 106,178 10.0
Western Cape 973,115 18.4
Total 4,626,744 9.1

Legacy

Romanticised painting of an account of the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck, founder of Cape Town.

Whilst apartheid has left lasting scars, white South Africans have made many positive contributions to South Africa. When van Riebeeck and his Dutch colonists arrived at the Cape in 1652 they collided with a culture far more ancient and far more primitive than their own.[6] The whites introduced to southern Africa enormous advances in science, agriculture, culture and medicine, in what was theretofore an unexploited wilderness of hunter-gatherer and pastoralist tribes. [7] Upon establishing the first Dutch Reformed Church at the Cape station, Van Riebeeck and his associates introduced Christianity to South Africa, now the dominant religion across the country. [8][9] He also brought the first vines and along with assistance from later Huguenot immigrants, began the now burgeoning South African wine-making industry.[10] Whites were the first to engage in large-scale industry and exploitation of the country's vast mineral wealth, particularly gold and diamonds[11], in unison with plentiful black labour. This accelerated the country's economic development, helping to make South Africa today the wealthiest and most influential country in Africa and the 24th largest economy in the world.[12] Having first founded Cape Town they eventually founded other major cities, such as Pretoria, Pietermaritzburg, Lydenburg, Bloemfontein and Johannesburg along the route of the Great Trek.[13][14] This is a source of contention[15][16] as the ANC regime renames many cities with Bantu names, despite their being originally European settlements.[17] Furthermore, being itself a union of Boer Republics and British colonies the State of South Africa in its present form, owes its existence to the whites.[18] In general terms there continues to exist a wealth gap between white and non-white South Africans, a legacy of white-domination of the economy, though this now appears to be changing[19] under the black-preferential legislation of the new regime. White contact in Africa does not appear to have negatively impacted the growth of indigenous populations, which continue to far outstrip whites. This is in stark contrast to the Americas, where native populations dwindled catastrophically under white rule[20] and have recovered very poorly. Between 1900 and 1990 the black population grew from 3.5m to 35m. Some partly attribute this to better medical care and food production achieved under white rule.[21]

Modern South Africa is a sport-mad country and all the major sports played in the country were white introductions. Rugby, most popular among the white population was first introduced by the British then later adopted by Afrikaner prisoners of war during the Anglo-Boer war.[22] Cricket and football were also British introductions and the latter has been adopted as the favourite sport of non-white South Africans.[23] South Africa's 1995 victory in the Rugby World Cup was a defining moment for the post-apartheid era and for a moment seemed to unite a divided nation.[24] Building on its excellent (by African standards) transport, hospitality and sporting infrastructure[25], South Africa gained the favour of the FIFA selection board to host the 2010 World Cup Finals Tournament, the first time ever the tournament has been held on African soil.[26]

Politics

White South Africans continue to participate in politics, having a presence across the whole political spectrum from left to right. Many whites supported the ANC in the "liberation struggle", an act which led to incarceration and/or exile for many. In general, white people consider themselves to be just as African as the non-white majority in South Africa.[citation needed] South African President Jacob Zuma, commented in 2009 on Afrikaners being "the only white tribe in a black continent or outside of Europe which is truly African." and said that "of all the white groups that are in South Africa, it is only the Afrikaners that are truly South Africans in the true sense of the word."[27] These remarks have led to the Centre for Constitutional Rights (CCR) laying a complaint with the Human Rights Commission against Zuma.[28]

Former president Thabo Mbeki stated in one of his speeches to the nation that: "South Africa belongs to everyone who lives in it. Black and White."[29] The history of white people in South Africa dates back to the 17th century.

There has been some rivalry and bitter feeling between Afrikaners and English-speaking Anglo-Africans. This is due in part to the Second Boer War, Britain's attempt to anglicize the country during the first half of the 20th century, and Afrikaner nationalism.

Prior to 1994, the white minority held complete political power under a system of racial segregation called apartheid. Many white people supported this policy, but some others opposed; During apartheid, immigrants from Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan were considered honorary whites in the country, as the government had and maintained diplomatic relations with these countries. These were granted the same privileges as white people, at least for purposes of residence.[30] Black Americans were sometimes granted an 'honorary white' status as well, based on the government's belief that they were "civilized" and possessed western values.[citation needed]

Today, the majority of white people support the Democratic Alliance, a liberal party led by Helen Zille, the Premier of the Western Cape.[31] However a minority (especially among the Afrikaners) support the Freedom Front, a conservative party that supports Afrikaner interests. In any democratic debate however, any white minority grouping in politics is easily outnumbered and their causes, such as preserving traditional city names, are outmanoeuvred.

In recent decades there has been a steady proportional (and possibly also numerical) decline in the white African population, due to higher birthrates among the non-white population of South Africa.[citation needed] Although, the main causes may not be demographic. White emigration due to poor economic conditions and a general sense of disenfranchisement maybe the greatest contributors.[32]

Graeme Smith, captain of the South Africa national cricket team.

More recently, the improved counting of the majority black African population has contributed to a sharp decline since 1994.[citation needed] In 1994, upon the abolition of apartheid, white Africans comprised 13.6% of the population, compared to 9.1% in January 2010.[citation needed] According to some previous census data, the highest proportion of white people in South Africa occurred around 1911-41, when they made up between 19-21% of the population.[citation needed] It is estimated that at least 800,000 white Africans have moved abroad since 1995.[33] The most popular destinations for white South Africans are Australia, New Zealand, UK and USA. In some cities of New Zealand 10% of the population is South African-born. Whilst it is relatively easy for whites of British or Portuguese origin to emigrate to Europe it has traditionally been much harder for Afrikaners since their lineage goes back many more generations. However a new movemement is emerging to allow Afrikaners of proveable Dutch origin the right to emigrate to the Netherlands. [34]

Like many other communities strongly affiliated with the West and Europe's colonial legacy in Africa, the white Africans are often economically better off than their black African neighbors and have only relatively recently surrendered political dominance to majority rule. There were also some white Africans in South Africa who lived in poverty--especially during the 1930s and increasingly since the end of minority rule. Current estimates of white poverty in South Africa run as high as 12%.[citation needed]

The new phenomenon of white poverty is often blamed on the government’s affirmative action employment legislation, which reserves 80% of new jobs for black people[citation needed] and favours companies owned by black people (see Black Economic Empowerment). Over 350,000 Afrikaners may be classified as poor, with some research claiming that up to 150,000 are struggling for survival.[35][36]

There have been increasing incidents of racism against white South Africans since 1994. In particular the actions of racist police personnel towards white victims have attracted media attention.[37] White men arrested and held in overcrowded cells on minor or spurious charges have taken legal action against the government, as many have been raped, contracted HIV, and been assaulted by violent criminals (often rape and murder suspects) held in the same cells.[38]

There are 40,000 mostly white commercial farmers in South Africa. Since 1994, close to 3,363 [39] farmers and family members have been murdered in thousands of farm attacks, with many being brutally tortured and/or raped. Some victims have been burned with smoothing irons or had boiling water poured down their throats.[40] Slogans such as "Kill the Boer" have become widespread and even sung by members of the ANC leadership. [41]

The Anglo-African population has a high relative turnover rate; not just of emigration, but immigration as well: By 2005, an estimated 212,000 British citizens were residing in South Africa. Since 2003, the numbers of British emigrants coming to South Africa has risen by 50%. An estimated 20,000 British emigrants moved to South Africa in 2007. The reasons cited by many emigrants are South Africa's family values, the weather and a better quality of life.[42]

Some white South Africans living in predominantly wealthy white suburbs such as Sandton have been affected by the 2008 13.5% rise in house robberies and associated crime.[citation needed] In a study, Senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), Dr. Johan Burger, said that criminals were specifically targeting "richer" suburbs. Burger revealed that several affluent suburbs are surrounded by poorer residential areas and that inhabitants in the latter often target inhabitants in the former. The Dr. also related to an entitlement complex that criminals have; "They feel they are entitled, for their own sakes, to take from those who have a lot". The report also found that residents in wealthy suburbs in Gauteng were not only at more risk of being targeted but also faced an inflated chance of being murdered during the robbery.[43]

The current global financial crisis has slowed down the high rates of white people emigrating overseas and has led to increasing numbers of white emigrants returning to live in South Africa. {{citation}}: Empty citation (help) Charles Luyckx, CEO of Elliot International and a board member of the Professional Movers Association said that in the past six months leading to December (2008), emigration numbers had dropped by "10%".Meanwhile he revealed that "people imports" had increased by 50%.[44]

Amongst the most high-profile emigres from South Africa are actors, such as Arnold Vosloo and Charlize Theron, and sportsmen such as Kevin Pietersen and several other members of the England cricket squad. These and many others have adopted foreign nationality and cite "affirmative action" legislation as a significant reason for defecting.[45] The other principal reason is the high crime rate, especially murder.[46][47] The readiness with which the white South African abandons his nationality[citation needed] may be a cause for concern. Empirical evidence suggests a great many white South Africans are still more affiliated with their parents, grandparents' or even great-grandparents' nationality than the country of their birth.[48] This contrasts with white Americans and white Australians, for example and could be symptomatic of the difficulty South Africa faces in defining its nationality, its "South-African-ness", in the wake of many decades of segregation, the whites' minority status and also the traditional disunity among English and Afrikaans speakers that still exists.

Notable White South Africans

Science and technology

Arts and media

Politics

Sport

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Statistical Release P0302: Mid-year population estimates, 2009" (PDF). Statistics South Africa. 27 July 2009. p. 4. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  2. ^ "Table: Census 2001 by province, gender, language and population group". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  3. ^ "Table: Census 2001 by province, gender, religion recode (derived) and population group". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  4. ^ "Where have all the whites gone?". Pretoria News. 2005-10-08. Retrieved 2010-03-25.
  5. ^ "Table: Community Survey 2007 by province, population group, gender and age group". Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
  6. ^ http://www.info.gov.za/aboutsa/history.htm#early_inhabitants
  7. ^ http://www.visiting-capetown.com/info.htm
  8. ^ http://www.bethel.edu/~letnie/AfricanChristianity/SouthAfricaHomepage.html
  9. ^ http://countrystudies.us/south-africa/52.htm
  10. ^ http://www.herald.co.uk/local_info/SA_Wine/history.html
  11. ^ http://www.info.gov.za/aboutsa/history.htm#mineral_revolution
  12. ^ http://www.joinafrica.com/Country_Rankings/gdp_africa.htm
  13. ^ http://www.potchefstroom.info/uploads/voortrekker-map.jpg
  14. ^ http://www.visitpretoria.co.za/General/history-of-pretoria
  15. ^ http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?sf=139&set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=qw115403202311B255
  16. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1850401.stm
  17. ^ http://www.city-data.com/world-cities/Johannesburg-History.html
  18. ^ http://africanhistory.about.com/od/southafrica/a/UnionSA.htm
  19. ^ http://www.afrika.no/Detailed/5731.html
  20. ^ http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/warstat0.htm#America
  21. ^ http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/321.htm
  22. ^ www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/.../1998/FS0101j.pdf
  23. ^ http://moreintelligentlife.com/content/places/raymond-whitaker/ballad-a-south-african-football-fan
  24. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/3634426/How-Nelson-Mandela-won-the-rugby-World-Cup.html
  25. ^ http://www.southafrica.info/business/economy/infrastructure/transport.htm
  26. ^ http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/2010/100607south_africa_world_cup.asp
  27. ^ "Zuma: Afrikaners true S Africans". Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  28. ^ Zuma’s Afrikaner remark before HRC The Times. 3 April 2009
  29. ^ "Address of the then President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, at the celebration of Nelson Mandela's 90th Birthday". African National Congress Website. 2008-07-19. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
  30. ^ Honorary Whites, TIME, January 19, 1962
  31. ^ The pocket guide to voting in 2009 The Times. 29 March 2009
  32. ^ Fleeing From South Africa
  33. ^ White flight from South Africa | Between staying and going, The Economist, September 25, 2008
  34. ^ http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-04-30-persecuted-afrikaners-talk-of-returning-home
  35. ^ Simon Wood meets the people who lost most when Mandela won in South Africa
  36. ^ South Africa - Poor Whites
  37. ^ "Cop: You whites must f*** **f". News24. 6 November 2008.
  38. ^ "Inmates sang to drown screams". News24. 22 October 2008.
  39. ^ Adriana Stuijt (2010-05-14). "Farm Murder death list: 1987 - May 11, 2010". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  40. ^ Criminal Justice Monitor (2003-07-31). "Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Farm Attacks". Retrieved 2006-10-11. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  41. ^ http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE62T0IM20100330
  42. ^ "Sunny skies, family values lure Brits". Home Coming Revolution. 2007.
  43. ^ "Criminals feel 'entitled' to steal". News 24. 2 July 2008.
  44. ^ Coming Home The Times. 21 December 2008
  45. ^ http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/243622.html
  46. ^ http://www.newsweek.com/2009/02/13/fleeing-from-south-africa.html
  47. ^ http://www.emigratenz.org/NewZealandEmigrationSAf.html
  48. ^ http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2010-06-10-3266375406_x.htm
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