Zuko Komisa
- AfriForum sought to defend Section 235, which acknowledges the right to self-determination for cultural and linguistic communities.
- The dialogue extended to the importance of mother-tongue education and fostering mutual respect between diverse cultural groups.
- Both parties discussed agricultural advancement within traditional communities, identifying potential areas of shared interest despite ideological divides.
AfriForum and the MK Party have put aside their fierce political differences to sit down at the same table.
AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel met with former President Jacob Zuma to discuss a growing threat to what his organisation considers a fundamental right: the freedom of cultural groups to govern their own affairs.
The meeting was sparked by the MK Party’s new plan to delete Section 235 from the South African Constitution. While this might sound like technical legal talk, it is a massive deal for both sides.
For AfriForum, this section protects the right to “self-determination”—the idea that different cultural and language groups have a say in how they live. For the MK Party, the clause is a “dormant” and “useless” rule that they fear could be used to divide the country or create “whites-only” areas.
Kallie Kriel described the sit-down as “very constructive.” It wasn’t just about laws and clauses; the two leaders talked about real-world issues like mother-tongue education and how to grow agriculture in traditional communities.
These are areas where, surprisingly, a conservative Afrikaner group and a traditionalist Zulu-backed party actually find common interest.
The MK Party spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela, confirmed that the meeting happened because AfriForum reached out first.
While the MK Party still believes Section 235 is “legally dead” and potentially divisive, the fact that they are willing to listen to AfriForum suggests a change in how politics is being done.
By choosing to meet face-to-face, these two very different groups are trying to solve a high-stakes legal battle with a simple conversation.
More meetings are already on the calendar, proving that even in a divided country, a handshake can sometimes do more than a courtroom battle.
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