Title page for ETD etd-10212009-173521
Stassen, Frans Johannes Nicolaas Email
Die Afrikaners se laaste halfeeu in Angola, 1928-1975 (Afrikaans)
Prof F Pretorius
Prof J S Bergh
AFRIKAANS: Gedurende die laat negentiende eeu het verskeie georganiseerde trekke die Zuid-
Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) verlaat. Die eerste van hierdie trekke het in Mei
1874 vertrek. Nadat die eerste drie trekke verenig het, het die trekkers hulle n� bykans
sewe jaar in Januarie 1881 by Humpata op die Hu�la-hoogland in die Portugese kolonie
Angola gevestig. Veral die tweede trek is gekenmerk deur onbeskryflike lyding as gevolg
van honger en dors in die Kalahariwoestyn en malaria aan die Okavango. Vanaf 1892 tot
1894 het drie verdere groot trekke gevolg. N� die laaste groot trek in 1907 het die Portugese
owerheid verdere Boeretrekke verbied. Mettertyd het die trekkers hulle ook op
ander plekke op die hooglande van Angola gevestig en �n groot Afrikaanse gemeenskap
gevorm. Hulle het �n bestaan gemaak uit hoofsaaklik veeboerdery, jag en transportry. Hul
bestaansmoontlikhede het mettertyd al hoe minder geword. In 1928 is ongeveer 2000
Angola-Boere na Suidwes-Afrika gerepatrieer.
Hierdie studie ondersoek die gemeenskap Afrikaners wat tussen 1928 en 1975 in
Angola gewoon het. Daar word aangetoon dat die geografie, bevolkingsamestelling en
ekonomiese ontwikkeling, sowel as die historiese verloop van gebeure in Angola in die
algemeen as �n Portugese kolonie tot 1975, �n belangrike invloed op die geskiedenis en
nedersettingspatroon van die Angola-Boere uitgeoefen het.
Die gemeenskap van 386�471 Afrikaners wat n� 1928 in Angola agtergebly het, is
aan die vergetelheid en verwaarlosing oorgelaat en is later as �n �lewende fossiel� en
slagoffers van hulle eie behoudendheid bestempel. Mettertyd het grootskaalse verarming
ingetree en die meerderheid kon nie meer �n menswaardige bestaan in Angola voer nie.
Sommige het wel nog �n lewe uit gemengde boerdery, transportry en jag probeer maak,
dekades nadat hierdie lewenswyse elders uitgesterf het. Die behuising, kleredrag en vervoermiddele van sommige persone het die tekens van hulle armoede getoon.
Die band met hulle volksgenote in Suid-Afrika is lewend gehou deur enkele Afrikaanse
boeke, tydskrifte en koerante, asook radio-uitsendings, volksfeeste en periodieke besoeke
van predikante van die Hervormde Kerk. Die opvoeding van die kinders is grootliks verwaarloos en slegs enkele kinders het �n skoolopleiding geniet. Op kerklike gebied het
hulle eweneens agteruitgegaan en hulle het, met die uitsondering van �n tydperk van vyf
jaar, slegs �n paar kortstondige besoeke van Hervormde predikante ontvang.
Op maatskaplike gebied het die meerderheid Angola-Boere �n ho� sedelike peil gehandhaaf. Sommige persone se sedelike peil was nogtans kommerwekkend laag en enkele
gevalle van losbandigheid, �verportugesing� en verhoudinge oor die kleurskeidslyn het
Die verhoudinge met ander bevolkingsgroepe � die Portugese koloniste, die inheemse
bevolking en die �mak volk� � was normaalweg goed, maar die meerderheid Angola-
Boere het hulself as �n aparte etniese groep ge�dentifiseer en hierdie identiteit gehandhaaf.
Aandag word geskenk aan die redes vir besluite wat individue van hierdie diasporagemeenskap op verskillende tye geneem het om �f in Angola te bly �f om weer te trek. Vanaf 1958 tot 1963 is die meerderheid van die ongeveer 600 Afrikaners in Angola na
Suidwes-Afrika en Suid-Afrika gerepatrieer, terwyl die res in Angola agtergebly het.
Hierdie groepie Afrikaners het hul Afrikanerskap daar onder moeilike omstandighede
gehandhaaf. Met die uitbreek van die burgeroorlog in 1975 in Angola het die laaste Afrikaners uit Angola gevlug en het die verbintenis van die Angola-Boere met Angola n� byna �n eeu tot �n einde gekom.
Hoewel die nalatenskap van die Angola-Boere in Angola relatief gering is, het hulle
oor �n lang tyd merkwaardige deursettingsvermo� in moeilike omstandighede aan die dag
ENGLISH: During the late nineteenth century a number of organized treks left the South African Republic (ZAR). The first of these treks left in May 1874. Seven years later, in
January 1881, and after the amalgamation of the first three treks, the trekkers settled at
Humpata on the Hu�la highlands in the Portuguese colony of Angola. The second of these
treks in particular was marked by suffering beyond description as a result of hunger and
thirst in the Kalahari Desert and malaria near the Okavango. From 1892 to 1894 three
further major treks followed. After the last major trek in 1907 the Portuguese government
prohibited further treks. In time, the trekkers also settled elsewhere on the highlands
of Angola and formed a large Afrikaner community. They made a living mainly
from stock farming, hunting and transport riding. In time their means of livelihood were
reduced. In 1928 about 2000 Angola Boers were repatriated to South-West Africa.
This study investigates this community of Afrikaners who lived in Angola between
1928 and 1975. It is shown that the geography of Angola, the composition of its population
and its economic development, as well as Angola�s historical development in general
until 1975 as a Portuguese colony, had a major influence on the history and settlement
patterns of the Angola Boers.
The community of 386�471 Afrikaners that remained in Angola after 1928 fell into
oblivion and neglect and was described as a �living fossil� and the victim of its own
conservatism. The majority still practised mixed farming, transport riding and hunting,
decades after this way of life had become obsolete elsewhere. In time, futher large-scale
impoverishment set in and the majority could no longer make a decent living in Angola.
Their housing, clothing and modes of transport bore witness to their poverty.
The ties with their kindred in South Africa were kept vibrant by a few books, magazines
and newspapers, as well as radio broadcasts, popular celebrations and the periodic
visits by ministers of the Hervormde Kerk. The education of their children was, to a large
extent, neglected and only a few children benefited from a primary education. In religious
matters too they showed signs of deterioration. With the exception of a period of
five years they only received a few periodic visits from ministers of the Hervormde
Socially, the majority of the Angola Boers maintained highly moral standards. However,
some members of the community were alarmingly depraved and a number of cases of licentiousness, acceptance of Portuguese mores and relationships with people of colour
Normally, relations with other ethnic groups � the Portuguese colonists, the indigenous
population and the �mak volk� (their erstwhile labourers and slaves) � were good
but the majority of Angola Boers identified themselves as a separate ethnic group and
preserved this identity.
Attention is given to the reasons for the decisions by individuals of this diaspora
community at different times to either stay in Angola or migrate again. From 1958 to
1963 the majority of the 600 Afrikaners in Angola were repatriated to South-West Africa
and South Africa, while a number stayed in Angola. There, this small community of
Afrikaners preserved its ethnic identity under difficult circumstances. In 1975, with the
outbreak of civil war in Angola, the last Afrikaners fled Angola and, after nearly a century,
the ties of the Angola Boers with Angola were severed.
Although the legacy of the Angola Boers is relatively small, they showed remarkable
perseverance over a considerable period of time and under difficult circumstances.
� 2009 Author.
Please cite as follows: Stassen, FJN 2009, Die Afrikaners se laaste halfeeu in Angola, 1928�1975, DPhil thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-10212009-173521/ >