The AfriForum and March on March alliance has raised questions about the political motivations behind the cooperation, after the organisations agreed to establish a collaborative working group focused on grassroots communities.
March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma met AfriForum chief executive Kallie Kriel and a delegation from the civil rights organisation to discuss shared challenges, possible solutions and areas of cooperation. The organisations said they would jointly pursue legal matters of mutual interest and support one another on the rule of law, crime prevention and illegal migration
AfriForum primarily advocates for Afrikaners and minorities, while March and March has positioned itself as an anti-immigration movement. The groups also identified community organisation, mother-tongue education, skills development, agricultural development and peaceful coexistence as potential areas of collaboration.
Political analyst Andre Duvenhage said the move reflected broader political realignments and the growth of identity-based mobilisation in South Africa.
“History told us that where you have identity politics and you are driving identity politics to a certain level, it is definitely a recipe for conflict, instability, and violence,” Duvenhage said.
He added that the cooperation was taking place amid political, economic and social challenges that the government had been unable to address.
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Image via AfriForum.
