Broederbond's Big Brother Act

The most powerful organization in South Africa is the Afrikaner Broederbond. An elite, secret society whose members include not only Prime Minister John Vorster but Afrikaners from every walk of life, the Broederbond (literally, association of brothers) is a kind of nerve center that keeps Afrikaner nationalism alive through the National Party, South Africa's Dutch Reformed churches and innumerable cultural and educational institutions.

The Broederbond was founded by 37 Afrikaner professional and businessmen in 1918, primarily to combat the growing dominance of English language and culture following the defeat of the two Boer republics and the formation of the Union of South Africa under British rule. Since then, the organization has grown to a membership of more than 10,000 in nearly 700 divisions across South Africa and in Rhodesia as well. Although its initial aim was to promote Afrikaans language, history, culture and education, the Broederbond was soon involved in creating financial, banking and business institutions as a way of mobilizing the meager financial resources of the downtrodden Afrikaners. Today some of these firms--notably Volkskas, Sanlam and Federale Volksbeleggings--are financial giants.

During the 1930s Depression, the Broederbond provided financial aid to thousands of poor Afrikaners. It also founded the Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Organizations (F.A.K.), which evolved into an umbrella organization that now coordinates hundreds of national cultural societies. Concentrating on education, the Broederbond opposed the language policy of Prime Minister Jan Smuts in the 1940s, under which Afrikaner children were taught half their subjects in English and the remainder in their native tongue. Since 1948 the Broederbond has completely controlled the educational policy of South Africa; Afrikaner schools perpetuate the philosophy of Christian nationalism and exclusive Afrikanerism.

Membership in the Broederbond is limited to white males of at least 25 years of age who speak Afrikaans and be long to one of the Afrikaner churches. Roughly half of the country's white ministers, school officials and university rectors are Broederbond members. So are virtually all Cabinet members and at least 75% of National Party members of parliament. The Broederbond's chairman since 1974 has been Gerrit Viljoen, rector of the Rand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg.

Each Broederbond division meets monthly and discusses a circular sent out from the head offices in Johannesburg. The circular contains directives on every facet of public life that may become an issue: politics, racial problems, security matters, vacant posts that breeders should fill. Thus on any given issue there are 10,000 men in a position to propagandize Afrikaner society with the Broederbond line. The public has no way of knowing whether or not apparently spontaneous public statements are actually made at the Broederbond's behest.

Vorster regularly consults with the Broederbond and keeps its leaders informed on important governmental policy shifts. Although the Prime Minister recently remarked that the organization's secrecy was no longer necessary, its effectiveness, in large measure, depends upon secrecy. Broederbond offices are not listed in the phone book. Circulars caution members on the rules governing privacy: do not let your wives overhear discussions with fellow brothers; avoid parking too many cars conspicuously near the site of a monthly meeting. Members may admit that they belong to the Broederbond but are not allowed to disclose that someone else does.

With its motto, BE STRONG, the Broederbond continues to exert the ultimate influence on Afrikaner public life. The Broederbond is the strength of the volk--the people--and the volk find their strength in the bonds.

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