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PRETORIA — The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, led by Chief Whip Mzwanele Manyi, has launched a bold challenge to what it calls a “racially exclusive enclave” — the Afrikaner-only settlement of Kleinfontein, just outside Pretoria.
The oversight visit, which stirred nationwide debate, was prompted by allegations that Kleinfontein mirrors Orania, operating under the guise of cultural self-determination while effectively excluding non-Afrikaners.
Kleinfontein, founded in 1992, admits only residents who share a common Afrikaner language, Christian religion, and cultural heritage — a policy that MK leaders argue violates the spirit of a non-racial democracy.
“Section 235 of the Constitution was never meant to entrench apartheid-era separateness,” said Manyi. “We will not allow cultural self-determination to be used as a loophole for racial exclusivity.”
The MK Party announced plans to table a Private Members Bill that would clarify and limit the interpretation of Section 235, aiming to prevent such communities from exploiting it to justify segregationist practices.
Meanwhile, Kleinfontein’s leadership defended the settlement, asserting it operates legally under a shareblock scheme and does not receive municipal services — instead, it maintains cultural autonomy to protect Afrikaner heritage.
As tensions grow, this clash raises pressing questions about the limits of cultural rights versus the constitutional vision of an inclusive, united South Africa.
