THE CHRISTIAN AFRIKANERS - The Works of F. N. Lee

Africa; treks on into the land both wide and far... Trek on! How far? As far as God would have ustrek!"So, with this tremendous national movement of the centennial celebration of the 1836 ox-wagontrek, the Re-united National Party began to make great progress. It launched its memorable motto:"Believe in God; believe in your nation; believe in yourself!"Then in 1939, came the Second World War. It split White South Africans right down the middle.The South African Parliament itself split open on this issue. There were eighty votes in favour ofgoing to war against Germany, and sixty-seven votes in favour of neutrality. It was just like WorldWar I, all over again!Even the South African Cabinet split. There were seven votes in favour of declaring war onGermany, and six votes in favour of neutrality. So there was yet another political realignment.In September 1939, General Smuts became Prime Minister of South Africa -- replacing the man hehad just been working under, General Hertzog. The latter again declared: "We cannot get involvedin Europe's Wars," -- a parallel of America's own "Republican Isolationism" -- in South Africa!Now the Labour Party and the Dominion Party entered into coalition with General Smuts's SouthAfrican Party and declared war on Germany. But the Nationalists, under the leadership of DrMalan, became the official opposition -- together with the breakaway followers of Dr Hertzog whobecame known as the Afrikaner Party. Sometime later, the latter amalgamated with the NationalParty -- under the title of "Reunited National Party" (H.N.P.).In 1943, after the tide of the war had begun to turn strongly against Germany, the National Partysucceeded in gaining forty-three seats in the South African Parliament. Its representation had beenwhittled down to eleven just some years earlier. Yet the Government still controlled 111 seats in theParliament.In 1948, there was a General Election. By a narrow majority, Dr Malan -- by entering into coalitionwith the Afrikaner Party -- took over the Government of South Africa.I was in High School at the time. The impact was quite unforgettable. We had never had the Biblein our (English-language) public schools -- before that election. One week thereafter, the teachercame in with a Bible and told us: "The new government says we've got to teach the Biblethroughout the schools of the land."It was that sharp a change! Immediately, we find many dramatic developments. On the whole, therewere improvements (from a Calvinist perspective) in education, in politics, and in economics. Aconsolidation of Calvinist power in South Africa now took place -- in politics, economics andeducation.In 1960, a national referendum was held to determine whether South Africa should or should notbecome a Republic. It was decided to become a Republic. So in 1961, the Republic of South Africawas created -- acknowledging Almighty God and the necessity of Christian education in its veryconstitution.From 1970 through 1980 -- the period of my general absence from that country -- it has been myperception that there has been a vast improvement in race relations between Black and White inSouth Africa. In spite of some isolated and unfortunate incidents, the move is more and moretoward the universal education and christianisation of all Black people and all White people withinwhat is now the Republic of South Africa.