WATCH | ‘If I were president, I’d mix up Orania!’ – Mantashe

Orania

Cape Town – Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, stood in for President Cyril Ramaphosa at South Africa’s 2025 Freedom Day celebrations in Ermelo on Sunday.

He used the platform to denounce racism and emphasise the country’s journey toward reconciliation and unity.

Mantashe emphasised South Africa’s commitment to reconciliation over revenge and condemned racism and segregation.

He criticised movements like Orania, saying the promote racial separation and reaffirmed South Africa’s sovereignty against foreign influence.

“The fact that we have a history of reconciliation over revenge, that is what we are celebrating. It is our choice for reconciliation over revenge, healing over hatred; you heal, you do not continue hating, peace over conflict. Right-wing fringes regard this gesture as cowardice rather than a noble one. That is why you find some of the people talking of an Orania, a piece of land in the Northern Cape,” said Mantashe.

“They want to create it as some land that is independent. Actually, If I would be president for more than three hours, I would declare that people must go and build in Orania. Black people must go and build there and we mix them. They (would) appreciate that hatred can never survive peace. It is peace that builds a nation.”

According to reportes, Orania, a whites-only Afrikaner enclave in South Africa, is reportedly seeking US recognition as an autonomous entity, with its leaders recently visiting the US to gain support.

According to Reuters, community leader Joost Strydom cited South Africa’s diversity as a reason for decentralisation, while rejecting accusations of racial division.

Orania’s leaders were vague about the assistance they sought but emphasised investment in infrastructure and energy independence rather than direct aid, the report said.

Recently, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the Northern Cape criticised Orania, arguing that its existence undermines national unity.

But, according to SABC News, Strydom defended the town, saying it aims to preserve Afrikaans culture rather than promote racism.

He urged critics to see Orania as a model for self-sufficiency, claiming the town engages with other communities to share its approach but insists they must take responsibility for their own development.

“We take responsibility for our heritage. We do not stop anyone to do the same. In fact, the Orania movement and many other Orania institutions engaged with communities like the Xhosa people of…, the …. people, the Barolong people. We engaged with them and said, ‘listen,  here’s a model’. We cannot come and execute this model for you. We cannot come and vote for you. The whole thing of Orania is to say you must do this yourself. We will try to take responsibility for ours, but here’s a lot of winning list recipes that you can use to build yours,” Strydom said. 

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