ORANIA: THE WHITES-ONLY TOWN IN SOUTH AFRICA

In 2024, South Africans were among the more than 3-billion people who went to the polls in more than 60 countries in national elections.

For South Africa, the elections had historical significance - they came at a time when the country was marking three decades since the end of apartheid.

When apartheid ended in 1994, many Black South Africans had high expectations about what the future held for them after centuries of social and economic exclusion.

Decades later, the African National Congress (ANC), which has governed the country since 1994, is facing accusations of not doing enough to dismantle apartheid-era socio-economic structures and injustices. Nothing exemplifies this better than the existence of Orania, a Whites-only town in the country's Northern Cape province.

The town has been a source of tension since its establishment in the early '90s during the last days of apartheid. The town's founders and residents claim its purpose is to preserve the culture and identity of the Afrikaner people, White South Africans of mostly Dutch, French and German descent.

However, many people think the town and its policy of not allowing non-White residents is nothing but a racist endeavour to maintain some vestiges of the apartheid system. The town's residents insist that its existence is protected by Article 235 of the South African constitution, which guarantees self-determination. However, many have argued that the cited part of the constitution does not, in fact, permit people of a particular religious or cultural group to live in a secluded place away from other South Africans. In 2000, the Northern Cape High Court adjourned 'sine die' (without a further hearing date) after Orania's proponents challenged attempts by the government to incorporate the town into the nearby municipal authority.

African Stream was shown around Orania by some of the locals, who shared their opinions about their community with us. We'd love to hear yours as well in the replies.