“We Have To Evolve”: Social Media Activist Peter Kriel Talks About Evolving as an Afrikaner

• Young activist Peter Kriel has sparked debate with his views on making Afrikaner identity more inclusive for all South Africans
• The 21-year-old humanist believes that without evolution, Afrikaners risk "fading into the shadows of history"
• South Africans shared mixed reactions to his call for inclusivity, with some agreeing, while others questioned why other cultural groups aren't held to the same standard

Peter Kriel, a 21-year-old social media activist and self-described humanist, has stirred conversation with his recent comments about the future of Afrikaner identity in South Africa. In a video posted on his X page at the end of May, Kriel spoke candidly about the need for change within the Afrikaner community, urging for more inclusivity.

The outspoken young activist, who has positioned himself as a progressive voice countering more conservative Afrikaner organisations, shared the video with the caption:

"If we don't evolve what it means to be an Afrikaner, we risk fading into the shadows of history. It's time to make being Afrikaans inclusive, or irrelevant."

In the interview, Kriel expressed strong views about what it means to be Afrikaans in modern South Africa:

"That's why I say I think being a Boer and Afrikaans person, you're not allowed to be called that unless you live up to that, and that's why I've really... I've been vocal about changing what it means to be Afrikaans, evolving what it means."

He continued by acknowledging issues within the community, stating,

"We as Afrikaans people, we've been not inclusive we've been all of these things that we equate to being bad. So we have to evolve it and if we don't evolve it, what we call being Afrikaans right, and celebrating that... It's going to end terribly."

Kriel has become known for his left-leaning views that often challenge traditional Afrikaner perspectives. He recently made headlines for his comments about the 49 South Africans who moved to the US under a refugee programme, suggesting they were "not fleeing racial persecution but rather fleeing equality."

Watch the X interview here:

The broader Afrikaner identity debate

The question of who qualifies as an Afrikaner has been a point of ongoing discussion in South Africa. Many argue that Afrikaner identity should include all South Africans who speak Afrikaans as their mother tongue, regardless of race or background.

This debate was highlighted recently when the ANC held talks with what was called an "Afrikaner Leadership Network," consisting primarily of organisations like AfriForum, Solidarity, and the Afrikanerbond. Some critics pointed out that these discussions excluded many Afrikaans speakers, particularly those who aren't white.

Another one of the issues sometimes raised in discussions about Afrikaner inclusivity is the town of Orania in the Northern Cape, which was established as a privately owned town primarily for Afrikaners. While the town represents only a tiny fraction of Afrikaners, it has become a symbolic flashpoint in debates about integration.

At the same time, many South Africans point to growing inclusion and integration across the country, with increasing numbers of interracial relationships and multicultural communities. Kriel's comments tap into this ongoing conversation about how cultural identities can evolve while maintaining their unique characteristics.

South Africans react to Kriel's comments

@Aunty Debbie 🇿🇦 ♏ disagreed:

"A true Afrikaner wants to be left alone."

@VIKING BOER questioned:

"Why are the Zulus thriving in KZN off of government funding, and they are excluding other cultures?"

@Madzonganyika supported Kriel's view:

"Good point. The keyword is 'inclusive.' Afrikaners, as a people, should integrate and be humanely inclusive to the populace around them. This is what lacked (arrogantly) in some of the former commercial farmers in Zimbabwe 2 decades ago."

@Claude reflected:

"Mmh... pretty darn complex ideology, which worked in some contexts of time, on this land though it was overthrown by some things, I believe not most of the people are trying and should be trying harder to at least inform themselves."

Pieter Kriel dropped another X video, sharing his thoughts on SA.

3 other stories about Afrikaners in the news

• Briefly News recently reported on an Afrikaner woman from Gqeberha who was accused of using America's refugee programme simply to reunite with her husband, already living in the US.
• An Afrikaner man who moved to America proudly shared his peaceful farm life on TikTok, showing himself buying eggs on a trust-based farm system in his quiet rural neighbourhood.
• A resurfaced Chicken Licken advert featuring a European child who mysteriously starts speaking Afrikaans and saying "voetsek" to dogs has South Africans talking.

Updated by Hilary Sekgota, Human Interest HOD at Briefly News.

Source: Briefly News