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Articles on Afrikaans

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Peter Marais, the Freedom Front Plus’ candidate for Western Cape premier, left, and party leader, Pieter Groenewald. Brendan Magaar/African News Agency(ANA).

The who, why and what of South Africa’s minority Afrikaner party

The FF+‘s constituency is overwhelmingly Afrikaner white Protestants. But, it appears to have made inroads among coloured conservatives.
Leaders use translators during the inauguration of President Mr João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço of Angola. GCIS

Why translators and interpreters deserve a special day of recognition

Raising the status of the African languages to that of official languages in South Africa post-1994 led to an explosion of translation and interpreting work in local and foreign languages.
Afrikaans singer Steve Hofmeyr (with the yellow t-shirt) in front of a statue of Paul Kruger at Church Square in Pretoria. Alon Skuy/The Times

Donald Trump, white victimhood and the South African far-right

The idea of white victimhood played an important part in Donald Trump’s rise. The South African brand of white supremacy has made a tangible contribution to this narrative of victimhood.
Students march at South Africa’s Stellenbosch University in 2015. They were seeking a legal right to be taught in English rather than Afrikaans. Mike Hutchings/Reuters

The humanities: looking the past in the eye

Next year South Africa’s Stellenbosch University will celebrate its centenary. A recent conference to discuss the anniversary has reminded everyone present that knowledge is a fickle mistress.
Students at Stellenbosch University call for Afrikaans to be scrapped as the institution’s main language. Reuters/Mike Hutchings

Why Afrikaans doesn’t qualify for special treatment at universities

Those who don’t want Stellenbosch University to make English the main language of instruction have invoked South Africa’s Constitution - but the assumptions underlying their arguments are false.

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