Herstigte Nasionale Party

The Herstigte Nasionale Party van Suid-Afrika (Reconstituted National Party of South Africa) was formed as a right wing splinter group of the South African National Party.

Formation

The party was formed in 1969 by Albert Hertzog (son of former Prime Minister General JBM Hertzog) as response to a perceived easing of apartheid by the National Party government, as well as the dropping of Hertzog and some of his closest supporters from the cabinet. The name was chosen to reflect the initials of the earlier Herenigde Nasionale Party (Reunited National Party), the name used by the National Party in the fateful election of 1948. Seeking a return to Calvinism as the basis of South Africa, the party also advocated a white socialism, complete racial segregation and the adoption of Afrikaans as the only official language.^[1] They contested the general elections of 1970 and 1977, capturing 3.3% of the vote in the latter election. The party also contested 50 seats in the 1974 election but failed to make an impact in an election where reformists advanced^[2].

Emergence in the 1980s

Under the leadership of Jaap Marais, who replaced the retiring Hertzog in 1977^[3], the party emerged as a reasonable force amongst white South Africans. In 1979 the evidence of their potential was demonstrated in a series of by-elections when they suddenly began to threaten the position of the ruling party.^[4] Despite eventually obtaining a non-negligible amount of support (13.1% in 1981 elections), the HNP never managed to gain seats in the South African parliament at a general election (although they registered a by-election success at Sasolburg in 1985^[5]), and soon became a voice of external opposition. The HNP effectively became the chief voice of the far right opposition at this time, particularly in 1989 when both the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging and the Boerestaat Party declared their support for Marais^[6]. The group's only previous contact with other parties had been in 1985 when they briefly co-operated with the Conservative Party to oppose the repeal of the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act and the Immorality Amendment Act by P.W. Botha.^[7]

Network with other organisations

On the international stage the HNP built up a number of contacts with far right groups in Europe and for a time during the 1980s were responsible for funding the United Kingdom-based League of Saint George^[8]. The HNP was also closely associated with the South African National Front (SANF), an overseas branch of the British National Front^[9].

Between 1980 and 1987 the party bankrolled the English-speaking far-right journal South African Patriot, edited by SANF members John Hiddleston and then Alan Harvey.

Post-Apartheid

They joined the Afrikaner Volksfront of General Constand Viljoen in 1991 although the front collapsed in 1994 when many of the members refused to participate in South Africa's first multi-racial elections^[10]. The HNP drifted away from Viljoen and did not join his Freedom Front. As a result they have become something of a marginal force in contemporary South Africa, arguing for the self determination of the white Afrikaners, and a return to Verwoerdian Apartheid. Their official party organ, Die Afrikaner, was last published in 2007^[11]. The party motto is "Dié Land is ons Land" (This land is our land).

They re-emerged in 2004 when the party lodged an official complaint against SABC 3 when they broadcast a play entitled 'ID' which satirized the killing of Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd. Although the HNP argued that it portrayed Verwoerd and his supporters unfairly the complaint was rejected by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa^[12].

Jaap Marais died in 2000, and was replaced as leader by Willie Marais. Willie Marais died in December 2007, and was replaced as leader by Japie Theart^[13].

Ideology

When founded, the HNP emphasised above all its Afrikaner identity, attacking immigration and seeking to downgrade the importance of the English language, as well as endorsing apartheid. The party also launched an attack on the materialism that it felt was taking over South African society and thus sought to present itself as the voice of working class Afrikaners.^[14]

The party reject the concept of a Volkstaat, claiming all of South Africa for the Afrikaner instead. They believe that the interests of the black population will be sufficiently met in the former homelands. The HNP have no clear plan as to how the return to Verwoerdian South Africa could be achieved. The party also emphasises the importance of Calvinism to the South African identity.^[15]

The party does not recognise the new order in South Africa, and as a result, encourage people not to vote as part of their policy of resistance. However, this also makes it impossible to determine the exact support levels the party enjoys.

Namibia

Given that South Africa administered Namibia until 1988 the HNP was active in the country in opposition to independence and black rights. The party contested the first multi-ethnic election on 1978, capturing 1.8% of the vote in what was a landslide win for the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance of Namibia (albeit with the main black opposition parties, the South West Africa People's Organization and the Namibia National Front, excluded from the ballot)^[16].

References

External links

• Official web site in Afrikaans
• Die Afrikaner website (Afrikaans)
• Documentary Motion Picture: Describing the geographical & historical progression of South Africa & its complex social structure. With genuine footage of the various eras, narrated by the respective leaders from Jan Smuts, Dr. Hendrik Verwoerd, P.W. Botha, F. W. De Klerk & Eugene Terre'Blanche. Including an episode explaining the policy of Separate Development designated Apartheid