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Orania (South Africa)

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image by Bruce Berry, 08 Feb 2007
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Orania (2004 - )

A new flag for Orania was adopted in 2004 which is in the former South African national colours of orange, white and blue. The flag is divided vertically, with a blue stripe nearest the hoist which is approximately 25% of the length of the flag, and an orange stripe comprising the remainder of the fly. Superimposed on the divide between the two colours is a figure of a boy rolling up his sleeves in white.

According to the Orania Beweging, the colours are indicative of their ancestors and history, which are also to be found in the Prinzenvlag of the Netherlands (1570), then later in the flags of the Orange Free State, the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek and finally in the former national flag of South Africa (1928-1994). The colours on the new flag of Orania have been reversed to that of blue, white and orange to symbolise a fresh beginning - a re-evaluation of the current situation in which the "volk" (people) find themselves.

The white figure so placed to overlap the blue and orange. Blue is symbolic of heaven, of faith and of devotion. It also represents innocence, truth, determination, justice and charity. White symbolises purity and peace with orange symbolising freedom, energy, protection and honour. Orange is also the symbolic colour of Orania.

The little boy rolling up his sleeves represents freedom through hard work. "By rolling up our sleeves and getting down to work we are building our own future".

The message of the flag is that with steadfastness, and with faith, self-determination and peace, the people of Orania can take their first steps towards their own freedom.

Autonomy and self-reliance is still strived for by Oranians, justifying their claim upon Chapter 14 Section 235 of the Constitution of South Africa which states:
"The right of the South African people as a whole to self-determination, as manifested in this Constitution, does not preclude, within the framework of this right, recognition of the notion of the right to self-determination of any community sharing a common cultural and language heritage, within a territorial entity in the Republic or in any other way, determined by national legislation".

This is not the official flag of the local authority in which Orania is situated, but is flown by many in Orania who align themselves with the idea of seeking self-determination for the area.
Bruce Berry, 08 February 2007

In today's paper edition of Göteborgs-Posten there is a short article about the South African town of Orania that hopes for some kind of autonomy or independence. Of what the paper reports, there are no new information compared to the text provided below. I am, however, curious why the paper report of their hope of autonomy today. Has the situation changed or is there an up coming election concerning the status of the area?
Christian Berghänel, 06 Dec 2006

I don't know where that paper got its facts from, but from the local news media it would appear that the only situation that has changed in the recent past concerning Orania, is that the Land Claims Court has yesterday recognised the right of the previous inhabitants of the area to be compensated for being dispossessed of their land and also determined the scale of that compensation. This land forms part of the area now owned by the Oranians. The previous owners agreed to accept financial compensation instead of claiming the land back. The Oranians were very relieved at this decision. They bought the property  from the previous government, who had removed the previous inhabitants to make way for a construction village for the Van der Kloof dam wall in the Orange River. This village now forms the core of the Orania community - thus their great relief. I have the impression that the autonomy dream has faded as the Oranians came to realise that it can never be anything but a dream.
Andries Burgers, 06 Dec 2006

Yes, the report by Andre Burgers regarding the land claim is correct and has been extensively reported in the local media here.

I was in contact with Orania Beweging recently as there is a new "town flag" for Orania.

Further details about Orania itself can be found at www.orania.co.za
Bruce Berry, 08 Dec 2006


Orania (1994 - 2004)

[Flag of Orania] image by Mark Sensen, 20 Oct 1997

I think the name Orania is derived from the river Oranje/Orange. The home page of Orania shows a map. On this map of the Northern Cape Orania is only one village southwest of where the Orange and Vaal rivers come together. The homeland they plan for the Afrikaners is between the river Orange River and the Atlantic Ocean, so part of the Cape, not the Free State or Transvaal.  Their flag is not totally based on that of the old Transvaal as the red is changed to orange for the Orange Free State. According to Boere Data the "Vryheidsvlag" or new "Vierkleur" was first hoisted in the night of 26/27 April 1994 (when the apartheid was officially abolished!). It's not only a combination of the design of the flag of the South African Republic (Transvaal) with the orange from the flag of Orange Free State but also incorporates the orange-white-blue of the "Prinzenvlag" of the "Dietse" ancestors of the Boers and the former flag of South Africa, but with a green stripe at the hoist. 
Mark Sensen, 20 Oct 1997

On the Flags of Aspirant Peoples, published in 1994 by the Flag Society of Australia and the Flag Research Center, is the flag of  "Orandia (White homeland) - South Africa." It has vertical orange-white-blue stripes with an emblem in the white stripe which is green ground plan of the Castle of Good Hope, outlined in grey, and including a monument (?) on a light blue background enclosed in a white-black hatched circle. The chart effectively shows a small black stripe at the hoist.
Ivan Sache, 12 Sep 1999

The following description and background is from SAVA Newsletter 2/91 which carried an article and illustration of this flag.

The flag originated in the early 1990s when the "Orandia Development Corporation" was established with the express purpose of establishing a "white homeland" to be called Orandia in the western part of South Africa. The town of Orania was purchased and was to be the centre of this activity.  The flag is based on the former flag of South Africa, having vertical instead of horizontal stripes. The orange stripe represents the freedom struggle of the people of Orandia with the white stripe standing for cleanliness of thought, conduct and purpose. The castle outline in the centre indicates the origin of the "white" nation in South Africa with the landing of Dutch settlers in the Cape in 1652, with the surrounding protecting wall symbolising the protection of the nation's seed. The castle' inner 'face' is green to suggest life from the soil, on which the nation will multiply.  Inside the castle a closed wagon laager encircles a stylised Voortrekker Monument (in Pretoria) symbolising the protection given to Orandia as the Nation of the Vow. The monument serves as a reminder of the slaughter that took place at the Battle of Blood River and of the sacrifices and perseverance of the predecessor of Orandia. The blue stripe shows the European origins of the forefathers of the people of Orandia and symbolises humility and faith. The black sleeve nearest the hoist shows that Orandians are prepared to live peaceably the people of other races and that good neighbourliness and trade should prevail.
Bruce Berry, 10 Dec 2001