The inaugural Future of Nations conference, organised by Lex Libertas in Pretoria, brought together international and local voices to examine self-determination, nationalism and cultural identity in an era of rapid political and economic transformation. While the gathering maintained a broad global perspective, numerous speakers drew on the Afrikaner experience as a case study in how communities can safeguard and strengthen their identity and institutions.
Stefano Forte, who heads the New York Young Republican Club, argued that the Afrikaner story holds valuable lessons for Western societies grappling with civilisational challenges across America, Europe and South Africa. He urged Western communities to focus on building rather than lamenting, pointing to Afrikaners as a leading example. "Those who want to destroy societies say 'Kill the Boer'. I say: 'Be the Boer'," Forte declared. Solidarity's head of public relations, Jaco Kleynhans, addressed the enduring impact of colonial-era borders on African political and economic tensions, noting that many current boundaries were drawn without regard for cultural and ethnic realities. "Borders change when people demand them," he said, advocating for greater decentralisation and local self-governance as solutions to the continent's challenges.
Constitutional law expert Prof. Koos Malan argued that South Africa is not a uniform nation-state but a multinational society where distinct cultural and historical communities coexist. He maintained that efforts to forge a single national identity have failed to reflect the country's diversity, and that communities should be afforded space to develop their own institutions and governance structures. Flemish party Vlaams Belang leader Tom van Grieken echoed these sentiments, cautioning that modern discourse frequently prioritises abstract notions of diversity and human rights over concrete cultural identity. "People don't live in abstraction," he said. "We live somewhere. We speak a language that carries memory." Van Grieken praised Afrikaners' tradition of self-organisation as proof that a people can establish institutions even with limited state support, adding: "The people are primary. The state is secondary. Politics must grow out of a people, never the other way around."
Advocate Mia du Plessis examined self-determination through the lens of international law, focusing on the concept of remedial self-determination as a potential recourse when states systematically violate citizens' rights. "Self-determination is not rebellion," she stated. "This is salvation." Princess Bhelakazi of the Mabandla royal family stressed the need for equilibrium between law and freedom, warning that "without law, freedom becomes chaos, and without freedom, law becomes oppression." She called for unity grounded not in uniformity but in a shared moral compass. Political analyst Prince Mashele expressed pride in his Shangaan heritage and urged all communities to embrace their identities with confidence. "I encourage Afrikaners to be proud Afrikaners, and Zulus to be proud Zulus," he said, adding that the country's future lies in merit-based rather than race-based politics.
European delegates offered their own perspectives on language and cultural preservation. Flemish politician and author Kristof Slagmulder highlighted historical ties between the Flemish and Afrikaners, warning: "When a nation loses its language, it loses more than just words. It loses its worldview, its future." Dr. Christof von Ach from South Tyrol in Italy outlined his region's self-government model, crediting unity and sustained political pressure for its success. Businessman Rob Hersov cautioned that democracy erodes when citizens disengage from public life. "Democracy does not fall flat in a day, but hollows out in the silence of withdrawal," he said, urging decentralised governance and greater community self-reliance as essential for South Africa's survival.
Efficient Group chief economist Dawie Roodt offered an economic perspective, maintaining that the state's core function should be protecting citizens and their property. He attributed South Africa's economic difficulties largely to the ANC's ideological foundations. "Another word for cadre deployment is incompetence. People get jobs because they are loyal, not because they are competent," Roodt said, arguing that future economic growth will emerge from decentralised digital and services economies rather than centralised government control.
