{"id":820722,"date":"2025-04-13T18:53:33","date_gmt":"2025-04-13T16:53:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=820722"},"modified":"2025-04-13T19:03:11","modified_gmt":"2025-04-13T17:03:11","slug":"secret-organisation-that-pulled-the-strings-in-south-africa-for-decades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/government\/820722\/secret-organisation-that-pulled-the-strings-in-south-africa-for-decades\/","title":{"rendered":"Secret organisation that pulled the strings in South Africa for decades"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The secretive Afrikaner Broederbond, of which every leader of the South African government was a member, wielded tremendous influence in the country for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Afrikaner Broederbond was started in 1918, when a group of Afrikaners founded a new organisation called Jong Suid-Afrika to further Afrikaner nationalism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A year later, the organisation changed its name to the Afrikaner Broederbond. Its members were exclusive to protestant Afrikaner men and by invitation only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organisation focused on maintaining Afrikaner culture, developing an Afrikaner economy, and gaining influence in the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was built on a Christian-national foundation with the motto, \u201cBe Strong\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 1930s, the Afrikaner Broederbond created public front organisations, including the Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurvereniginge (FAK).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These groups served to further the cultural work of the Afrikaner Broederbond, with the original organisation evolving into an influential, secretive organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its rituals and membership remained secret, and Broederbond members would not speak publicly about the organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were many rumours of secret handshakes and how new members were interrogated in a dark room with only a candle on their desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members were cautioned not to let their wives overhear discussions with other members, and they should keep their meetings low-key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members could disclose their own Afrikaner Broederbond membership, but not that of any other members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only after they were accepted into the Afrikaner Broederbond would the lights be turned on for them to see the leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The secret organisation wielded enormous power, and every prime minister and state president from 1948 to 1994 was a Broederbond member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These members include D. F. Malan, H. F. Verwoerd, J. G. Strijdom, John Vorster, Pik Botha, P.W. Botha, F. W. De Klerk, and Marthinus van Schalkwyk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Afrikaner Broederbond also influenced the appointment of leaders of key state institutions to further their initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its power extended to many parts of society, including schools, churches, the judiciary, universities, the police, local government, and business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Influential members in these fields include former RAU rector Theunis Roux Botha, the billionaire Anton Rupert, and Dutch Reformed Church missionary Nico Smith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most powerful organisation in South Africa<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Afrikaner Broederbond in the early years<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 1977, Time Magazine described the Afrikaner Broederbond<\/a> as \u201cThe most powerful organisation in South Africa\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It said the elite, secret society was the nerve center that keeps Afrikaner nationalism alive through the National Party, Dutch Reformed churches and cultural and educational institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time Magazine said the organisation has grown to a membership of more than 10,000 in nearly 700 divisions across South Africa and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It said each Broederbond division met monthly to discuss a circular sent out from the head offices in Johannesburg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe circular contains directives on every facet of public life that may become an issue: politics, racial problems, security matters, vacant posts that brothers should fill,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn any given issue, there are 10,000 men in a position to propagandise Afrikaner society with the Broederbond line.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe public has no way of knowing whether or not spontaneous public statements are actually made at the Broederbond\u2019s behest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It claimed that the prime minister regularly consulted with the Broederbond to inform its leaders about significant governmental policy shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many resources said the Afrikaner Broederbond founded Volkskas Bank, and the organisation appointed all its directors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The top leadership of other large businesses, including Sanlam and Rembrandt, were key Afrikaner Broederbond members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The end of the secret Afrikaner Broederbond<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Afrikaner Broederbond started to lose its influence due to political changes in South Africa, ultimately leading to the first democratic elections in 1994.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organisation ended its secrecy in 1993 and changed its name to the Afrikanerbond. It continues to promote Afrikaner culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It became a more inclusive organisation with membership open to Afrikaans-speaking South Africans over 18.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there is still a selection process. Applicants must undergo a selection process before membership is granted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although its motto remains \u201cBe Strong\u201d, it modernised its logo to be more representative of the new century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Afrikanerbond states that it represents Afrikaners who are genuinely committed to South Africa and who want to contribute positively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It added that it works towards creating a prosperous South Africa that offers opportunities for all South Africans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Afrikanerbond is concerned with protecting fundamental rights, establishing democracy, promoting responsible citizenship, and promoting patriotism,\u201d it states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organisation is involved with affirmative action, actions against crime, rural safety, land reform, name changes, and mother tongue education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Afrikaner Broederbond documents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The secretive Afrikaner Broederbond, of which every leader of the South African government was a member, wielded tremendous influence in the country for decades.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":820731,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[22271,22272,22273],"class_list":["post-820722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-government","tag-afrikaner-broederbond","tag-broederbond","tag-federasie-van-afrikaanse-kultuurvereniginge-fak"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=820722"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820722\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":820737,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820722\/revisions\/820737"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/820731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=820722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=820722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=820722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}