A WILDEBEEST IS A GNU - A snippet of South African history

Good morning

It's South Africa's turn for some attention and happy Valentine's Day Friday. 

See you again on Monday for more Daighacaer.

Thirty years ago, South Africa's Apartheid regime was dismantled through the efforts of Frederik Willem de Klerk of the National Party, who served as state president of South Africa from 1989 to 1994 and Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela of the African National Congress, who served as the first president of a unified South Africa from 1994 to 1999. 

These two men were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1993 "for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa". The white voting populous's overwhelming mandate for inclusion and the de Klerk segment of this momentous occasion is a history which is largely disregarded by the black population of South Africa.

Photos from the Nobel Foundation archive

On March 17, 1992, white South Africans voted overwhelmingly in a referendum to end minority rule, by a margin of 68.7 percent to 31.2 percent. In February 1992, de Klerk called for a referendum to determine whether white South Africans were prepared to accept voting for the whole population. Eighty-five percent of the (all-white) electorate voted, of whom more than two-thirds voted in favour of the dismantling of apartheid. As a result of this referendum, de Klerk and Mandela progressed with their negotiations for a unified South Africa. The country’s first multi-racial elections were held two years later, on 27 April 1994.

Voting in 1994 put the majority black party of the African National Congress (ANC) in power with the majority white Democratic Alliance (DA) as official opposition. 

The transition of power was peaceful and South Africans were mostly hopeful for a shared and united country. 

Fast forward thirty years to the 2024 general elections. The ANC government was out of favour with its voting public and only gained 40% of the vote, down from high 60%s previously. The DA garnered 20% of the vote. This meant that there was no party in South Africa which had sufficient votes to govern.

In this chaos, the unthinkable occurred. The major parties unilaterally decided that the South African voters had given them a mandate to form a Government of National Unity (GNU). South Africans were shocked. Blacks because of the inclusion of the 'white' DA party and whites because of the amalgamation with the 'black' ANC party. 

The country has still not recovered from this blatant power-grab and racial tensions in the country are at an all-time high. Into this chaos, the president, Cyril Rhamaposa, signed into law in January 2025, the controversial law of expropriation of property (not only land) without compensation. This has led to major figures around the world condemning the move. President Trump imposed sanctions on South Africa and provided asylum for white farmers. There is so much more to discuss on this topic but not for this post. 

Where South Africa is headed in the future is anyone's guess. Suffice to say that the future does not look favourable.

Fun fact: Gnus, called wildebeest in South Africa, are antelopes of the genus Connochaetes and native to Eastern and Southern Africa. The parliament in South Africa is now referred to as a GNU. Gnus are not the most elegant species but their antics can be quite mesmerising. 

This is a poem which I wrote in Afrikaans about the wildebeests and the GNU.

A Herd of Cape Blue Wildebeest

Wildebeeste in Rep en Roer Die wildebeeskudde is nie gelukkig nie Die ‘harrel en skarrel’ van die trek Dryf hul van hul tuiste In die Ooste en die Weste Van in die Noorde tot in die Suide Veg wildebees met wildebees Vir hul oorheersing van die Vaderland Om vir hul eie buit te wees Want in die lewe van die kudde Is daar ontelbare veg om mag So ook met die politiek Wat begeer om die trop te regeer In hul gejaag na beheer lok 'n ramp Vir die wildebeeskudde Dié wat hulle onderskat het Dié wat baie ondersteun Dié is die leeus wat in die lang droë gras wag En die krokadille wat loer in hul waterweë Vir enige enkellopend wildebees Wat in hul pad afdwaal Vir die wildebeeste in die parlement Wat hul buit verdeel en verower Geskiedenis is jou regter Maak goed met God terwyl jy kan

GNUs  in Uproar The wildebeest herd is not happy The hustle and bustle of the trek Drives them from their homes In the East and the West From in the North to the South Wildebeest fights with wildebeest For their dominance of the Fatherland To be for their own spoils Because in the life of the herd There are innumerable flights for power So too with politics Which desires to rule the pack In their rush for control lies disaster For the wildebeest herd Those whom they underestimated Those whom many support These are the lions which wait in the long dry grass And the crocodiles which lurk in their waterways For any lone wildebeest Which wanders off the path For the wildebeests in parliament Who share their spoils and conquests History is your judge Get right with God while you can