IJR Hosts Roundtable with Dr Lorato Mokwena

On Friday, 18 July 2025, the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) hosted a thought-provoking Roundtable exploring Orania: Post-Apartheid South Africa’s Bogeyman? —a bold and timely book by linguist and UNISA lecturer, Dr Lorato Mokwena. The event took place at the IJR offices in Cape Town and virtually, drawing participants into a rich dialogue on race, identity, memory, and belonging in democratic South Africa.

In her book, Dr Mokwena critically examines the settlement of Orania, often portrayed as a fringe curiosity, separatist enclave, or a relic of apartheid. She brings together linguistic, historical, and cultural analysis into conversation with political critique, interrogating the layered narratives that have enabled Orania not only to endure but, in some respects, to flourish in a post-apartheid era.

Opening the session, IJR’s Project Leader, Ms Anthea Flink, emphasised the importance of the discussion within today’s socio-political context. Dr Mokwena then shared personal reflections on her research journey, describing her fieldwork experience and the complex realities it revealed.

“In South Africa, we love convenient truths. This book is an inconvenient truth,” Dr Mokwena remarked. She continued by stating that through her fieldwork, she discovered that “it [Orania] is just another town in Africa, the only difference is that it is private property.”

The Roundtable coincided with Mandela Day on 18 July, a day dedicated to honouring the legacy of Nelson Mandela and his 67 years of unwavering commitment to social and political justice. Marking this moment of national reflection on justice, leadership, and reconciliation, Dr Mokwena drew on the symbolism of the day to question and challenge dominant narratives within South Africa’s democracy.

“On this Mandela Day, we must ask ourselves—this man who symbolised the rainbow nation—what does that idea really mean? It serves as a feel-good story, but does not reflect politics on the ground, or the experience of being South African but not really South African. It doesn’t work.”

She continued: “We are here by the rainbow nation concept and speaking to the people [in Orania] about the concept because they are the ones that ‘put a stain’ on it and they said that it makes everything grey and in Orania, they don’t associate with it.”

Further adding to her comments about the concept of a rainbow nation, Dr Mokwena stated that, “The time I spent in Orania made me realise that we are not a rainbow nation…it is an optical illusion. From a very practical perspective, the rainbow you see, the inclusion you feel, is that the reality for everyone?”

Dr Mokwena stressed that Orania’s existence is constitutionally protected: “It’s a micronation, not a volkstaat. In its essence, Orania was simply a settlement.”

Following her presentation, IJR’s Head of Sustained Dialogues, Ms Felicity Harrison, offered a personal response. She admitted to approaching the discussion with trepidation, sharing that parts of the book had been deeply triggering.

“For me, Orania represented the worst fears of seeing apartheid represented in post-apartheid 1994,” she said. “But the book also challenged me to confront my own prejudices and re-examine my assumptions.”

Harrison critiqued the community’s claim to cultural self-determination, especially given the continued celebration of apartheid-era public holidays. “They position themselves as pro-Afrikaner, but anti-everything else,” she noted.

She further reflected on the historical trauma experienced by Afrikaners, particularly the legacy of the Boer War. “As I get older, I realise the Boer war is in many ways a trauma response. The first concentration camps in the world were here, in South Africa.”

Responding to this, Dr Mokwena added: “It’s often easier to see Afrikaners as perpetrators, but not as victims.”

Following the discussion, the floor opened to a dynamic Q&A session, where attendees posed thoughtful questions about the book’s methodology, legal frameworks, the politics of self-governance, and more.

Danielle Hoffmeester, IJR’s Project Leader within the Sustained Dialogues Programme and organiser of the event, closed the session by expressing her gratitude to all who attended, with special thanks to Dr Lorato Mokwena for leading such an enriching conversation. She emphasised that this discussion is far from over and that a follow-up event is both necessary and anticipated.

The event highlighted the pressing need to challenge the myths shaping South African identity and reaffirmed the importance of creating space for complex but essential conversations.