What Thabo Mbeki, the Broederbond and a minister from Montagu can still teach us
In 1986, a community worker from Montagu found himself among ANC leaders and members of the Afrikaner Broederbond who were beginning to discover that some of what they believed about one another was not as simple as they had thought. Almost 40 years later, there may be something in those encounters that South Africa needs again.
In 1986, a community worker from Montagu named Dirk Marais found himself among ANC leaders and members of the Afrikaner Broederbond at a unique gathering. This event, which brought together people with vastly different political backgrounds, took place almost 40 years after a community worker named Marais had begun working with a South African community development organization.
Marais' work in Montagu exposed him to the harsh realities of poverty, inequality, and the consequences of apartheid, which he couldn't discuss merely as political ideas.
During this gathering, Thabo Mbeki, a prominent ANC leader, and Pieter de Lange, a member of the Afrikaner Broederbond, engaged in a five-hour conversation. De Lange brought up concerns about Afrikaner identity, language, education, and religious freedom, while Mbeki realized that the conversation was more complex than simply preserving white political power.
This encounter, which happened during a time when South Africa was grappling with apartheid, highlights the potential for change even in the most unlikely of settings.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
