The relationship between the Afrikaans-speaking people in Southern Africa and Russia dates back to the 1900s from the Anglo-Boer war, where valuable assistance was offered by Nicholas II of Russia, the former emperor of Russia.
BGTN held an evening celebrating this relationship.
WATCH: Russia-Afrikaaner special evening
South Africa’s Afrikaner, or Boer, community descends predominantly from Dutch settlers who arrived at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652.
The Afrikaans-speaking community dominated politics and agriculture until the country’s first democratic election in 1994.
Today, Afrikaaners make up 6% of the population.
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Lourens Steytler, a former founding member of the international movement ‘Russophile’, which is an admiration and fondness of Russia, said it was essential to be a strong, loud voice of support for Russia.
The Russian-Afrikaner friendship dates back to the beginning of the 1900s and the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Boer War.
Nearly 300 Russian volunteers travelled thousands of kilometres to fight amongst the ranks of the Boer armies against the British.
Russian Red Cross and Russian-Dutch ambulance units deployed in South Africa to provide medical assistance to Afrikaner combatants and civilians. Their actions are still revered more than a century on by descendants of some of those they helped.
Although there are few cultural and linguistic ties between the countries, the Russian-Afrikaner friendship is as strong as ever.
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There is growing interest for the Russian language to be taught in South African universities.
South Africa was the first African nation to recognise the Russian Federation in December 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
South Africa’s majority African National Congress government also has strong ties with Moscow for the assistance it led its fighters during the years of the anti-apartheid struggle.
The country’s third-largest opposition party, Economic Freedom Fighters, also voice strong support for Russia.
