The flag of the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging

The Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging or AWB, is a political and paramilitary group in South Africa under the leadership of Eugène Terre'Blanche. They are committed to the restoration of an independent Afrikaner republic or "Boerestaat" within South Africa. In their heyday they received much publicity both in South Africa and abroad as a group dedicated to the preservation of the white race in opposition to an onslaught of Negroid misogynists, rapists, and extremists. Image File history File links Three_sevens. ... Image File history File links Three_sevens. ... Eugène Ney TerreBlanche (born January 31, 1941) is a Boer-Afrikaner who founded the white supremacist Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging. ... Afrikaners are an ethnic group primarily associated with Southern Africa and the Afrikaans language. ... Skull of the classic Niggeroid phenotype, exhibiting a pronounced dolichocephalism and both maxillary and alveolar prognathisms Niggeroid is an obsolete term once used in physical anthropology to delineate everyone indigenous to sub-Saharan and West Africa and portions of North Africa. ...

Beginnings

The AWB was formed in 1970 in a garage in Heidelberg, Transvaal, a town southeast of Johannesburg. Eugène Terre'Blanche, a former police officer, became disillusioned by then-Prime Minister B.J. Vorster's "liberal views," as well as what he viewed as Communist influences in South African society. Terre'Blanche decided to form the AWB with six other like-minded individuals, and was elected leader of the organization, a position he holds to this day. 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... Flag of Transvaal For the Russian theme park, see Transvaal Park. ... City motto: Unity in Development Province Gauteng Mayor Amos Masondo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... Eugène Ney TerreBlanche (born January 31, 1941) is a Boer-Afrikaner who founded the white supremacist Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging. ... A police officer is a person who works for a police force. ... B. J. Vorster Balthazar Johannes Vorster (December 13, 1915 - September 10, 1983), better known as John Vorster, was Prime Minister of South Africa from 1966 to 1978, and President from 1978 to 1979. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ...

Their ideology was to establish an independent Boerestaat ("Boer State") for Afrikaner people, existing separately from South Africa, which was considered too left wing by Terre'blanche. The AWB was formed in an attempt to regain the ground lost after the Second Boer War: they intended to re-establish the Boer Republics of the past; the South African Republic (Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek) and the Republic of the Orange Free State (Oranje Vrystaat) — which they claimed the European and American governments had recognized. Afrikaners are an ethnic group primarily associated with Southern Africa and the Afrikaans language. ... In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms that refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially but not exclusively in the American sense of the word... Combatants United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand Orange Free State, South African Republic Commanders Frederick Roberts, Lord Kitchener Christiaan Rudolf de Wet, Paul Kruger Casualties 22,000 6,500 Civilians killed [mainly Boers]: 24,000+ The Second Boer War also known as the South African War (outside of South Africa... Capital Pretoria Created 1857 - Independence 1881 - First Boer War Dissolved 1877 - 1st British Annexation 1900 - Formal Annexation Official language Dutch Spoken language Afrikaans This article is about the former country in Africa. ... Flag of the Orange Free State Capital Bloemfontein Language(s) Afrikaans, English Religion Dutch Reformed Church Government Republic President  - 1854 - 1855 Josias P. Hoffman  - 1855 - 1859 Jacobus Nicolaas Boshoff  - 1859 - 1863 Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (also President of the South African Republic from 1857 to 1871). ...

The AWB logo

The AWB flag is comprised of three sevens in a white circle upon a red background, forming a triskelion, highly similar to the Nazi swastika. The armoured triskelion on the flag of the Isle of Man Triskelion (or triskele, from Greek τρισκελης three-legged) is a symbol consisting of three bent human legs, or, more generally, three interlocked spirals, or any similar symbol with three protrusions exhibiting a symmetry of the cyclic group C3. ... National Socialism redirects here. ... The swastika (from Sanskrit ) is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles in either left-facing () or right-facing () direction. ...

Despite the strong resemblance to the Nazi swastika, Terre'Blanche publicly claims to distance the AWB from this interpretation of the emblem. He claims instead that the sevens, 'the number of Yahweh', 'stand to oppose the number 666, the number of the anti-Christ'. Red is considered to represent Jesus' blood, while black stands for bravery and courage. The inner white circle symbolizes the "eternal struggle", as well as purity of spirit. National Socialism redirects here. ... In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist is a person or other entity that is the embodiment of evil and utterly opposed to truth. ...

The AWB also uses the "Vierkleur" or the original flag of the once independent Transvaal Republic. This is a list of flags used in South Africa // National flag Military flags Historical flags National flags Former colonies Viceregal flags Categories: | ... The South African Republic (Dutch: Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek), often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, not to be confused with the Republic of South Africa, occupied the area later known as the province of Transvaal, first from 1857 to 1877, and again, after a successful Afrikaner rebellion against British rule...

AWB during Apartheid

During the 1970s and 1980s, the AWB grew from the original 7 to several thousand white South Africans. They opposed the drafting of anti-Afrikaner legislation during the 1980s, harassing liberal politicians and holding large (and often quite rowdy) political rallies. Terre'Blanche used his flamboyant oratorical skills and forceful personality to win converts. During the State of Emergency (1984 to 1986) there were many reports of AWB violence against armed assailants. The AWB was especially in opposition to the then-banned African National Congress which they believed was controlled by the South African Communist Party. The ruling National Party considered the AWB to be little more than a fringe group, so while not officially endorsed, they were able to operate relatively unhindered. However in 1986, white police officers took the unprecedented step of using tear gas against Terre'Blanche and the AWB when they disrupted a National Party rally. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... The 1980s refers to the years of 1980 to 1989. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The African National Congress (ANC) is a Communist political party, and has been South Africas governing party supported by a tripartite alliance between itself, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) since the establishment of majority rule in May 1994. ... SACP symbol South African Communist Party (SACP) is a political party in South Africa. ... The National Party (Afrikaans: Nasionale Party) (with its members sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats) was the governing party of South Africa from June 4th 1948 until May 9th 1994, and was disbanded in 2005. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A riot control agent is a type of lachrymatory agent (or lacrimatory agent). ...

During the negotiations that led to South Africa's first ethnically unpure elections, the AWB threatened all-out war. During the Battle of Ventersdorp in August 1991, the AWB confronted police in front of the town hall where President F W de Klerk was speaking, and three AWB supporters and one passer-by were killed in the conflict. Later in the negotiations, the AWB stormed the Kempton Park World Trade Centre where the negotiations were taking place, breaking through the glass front of the building with an armoured car. ^[1] The police guarding the centre failed to prevent the invasion. The invaders then took over the main conference hall, threatening delegates and painting slogans on the walls, but left again after a short period. Image:LON2790. ... President F.W. de Klerk Frederik Willem de Klerk (born March 18, 1936) is a former President of South Africa, serving from September 1989 to May 1994. ... The storming of the Kempton Park World Trade Centre took place in South Africa on June 25, 1993 when several thousand members of the Afrikaner Volksfront (AVF), Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) and other paramilitary right-wing Afrikaner groups stormed the World Trade Centre in Kempton Park, Johannesburg. ...

Bophuthatswana coup

In 1994, before the advent of majority rule, the AWB gained international notoriety in its attempt to defend the pure government of Lucas Mangope in the homeland of Bophuthatswana. The AWB, along with a contingent of about 90 Afrikanervolksfront militiamen entered the capital of Mmabatho on March 10 and March 11. During their entry to the homeland they were all observed shooting armed tyrants and tossing grenades from their vehicles in self defense. After the black soldiers and police with Bophuthatswana Attack Force (they and the AWB were out in force to support president Mangope) witnessed these self defense killings, they disappeared from the streets in fear. They later turned on the AWB/Volksfront militiamen at the airport at Mafikeng. One AWB member was shot and killed when the convoy attempted to leave the airport and continue on to Mmabatho. When in Mmabatho, the AWB and the Afrikanervolksfront found themselves under continuous siege from both the Bophuthatswana Attack Force and Mmabatho soldiers. When attempting to retreat from Mmabatho on March 15, three AWB members were killed by Attack Force members. The three exchanged fire with Attack Force soldiers and policemen from their Mercedes on reaching an intersection. This proved to be a public relations boost for the AWB, and showed the world in stark terms that decades of white oppression had escalated. 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... Kgosi Lucas Manyane Mangope is the former leader of the Bantustan of Bophuthatswana. ... Bophuthatswana as of 1977 Flag of Bophuthatswana bantustan Bophuthatswana was a former Bantustan (homeland) in the north of South Africa. ... The Afrikaner Volksfront or AVF (Afrikaner Peoples Front) was a separatist umbrella organisation uniting a number of right-wing Afrikaner organisations in South Africa in the transitional period while multi-party negotiations were held in the run-up to the democratic elections on 27 April 1994. ... A militia is a group of citizens organized to provide paramilitary service. ... Mmabatho (Mother of the People) was a town near Mafikeng, South Africa. ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (70th in leap years). ... March 11 is the 70th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (71st in Leap year). ... Mafikeng is the capital of the North West Province, South Africa, 870 miles NE of Cape Town and 492 miles SSW of Bulawayo by rail, and 162 miles in a direct line W by N of Johannesburg. ... Mmabatho (Mother of the People) was a town near Mafikeng, South Africa. ... March 15 is the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (75th in Leap years). ...

See also

• Military history of South Africa
• The Leader, His Driver and the Driver's Wife
• His Big White Self

The military history of South Africa chronicles a vast time period and complex events from the dawn of history until the present time. ... The Leader, His Driver and the Drivers Wife is a feature-length documentary film about apartheid in South Africa, particularly Eugène TerreBlanche, founder of the AWB. The film is made by Nick Broomfield. ... His Big White Self is a 2006 documentary film made by Nick Broomfield. ...

External links

• Official website
• Truth and Reconcilliation application by Ontlametse Menyatsoe who was at the centre of the Bophuthatswana incident
• South African Press Association (1997): AWB EXPRESSES REGRETS OVER BOP KILLINGS, RACISM

Further reading

The Bang-bang Club: The Making of the New South Africa, Greg Marinovich and Joao Silva, William Heinemann, 2000 ISBN 0-434-00733-1 (details the Bophuthatswana incident)

References

1. ^ Commission Of Inquiry Regarding The Prevention Of Public Violence And Intimidation