EFF Northern Cape Leader Aims to Be First Black Resident of Orania, Calls for a Legal Review of Town

• The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the Northern Cape called for a review of Orania's existence
• Shadrack Tlhaole, EFF leader in the province, wants to be the first black resident of the white-only town
• The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party conducted a fact-finding mission at the Afrikaans-only town of Kleinfontein

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

NORTHERN CAPE - Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) member, Shadrack Tlhaole, plans to be the first black person in Orania, once other races are allowed in.

Tlhaole, who is the EFF leader in the Northern Cape, made the comments as the Red Berets continue to question the legality of Orania.

The EFF embarked on a march to the offices of the Northern Cape Premier on 22 April, 2025, to demand a legal review of Orania’s existence. Orania is a privately owned town in the Karoo region that only allows white people of Afrikaans descent to live there.

Tlhaole promises that Orania will be inclusive

Speaking ahead of the march to the Premier’s office, Tlhaole said that areas that were segregated could exist so long into democracy.

"I am going to be a resident of Orania. I am going to fight tooth and nail to be one society. We are going to be inclusive," he said.

Tlhaole stated that the government needed to send a strong message when it came to areas like Orania and Kleinfontein in Pretoria, adding that the EFF was focused on uniting people. He also cautioned that there could be tension if Orania wasn’t attended to soon.

uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party wants review into Kleinfontein

While the EFF are questioning the existence of Orania, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party set its sights on Kleinfontein. Members of the party visited the white Afrikaans-only settlement near Pretoria on Monday, 21 April, on what it called a fact-finding mission.

The party suspects that the settlement is abusing section 235 of the Constitution, which allows for self-determination for communities of shared common cultural and language heritage.

Mzwanele Manyi, the MK Party’s Chief Whip in Parliament, stated that places like Orania and Kleinfontein had interpreted section 235 differently.

"The MK Party holds the view that section 235 is vague, and leads to all kinds of interpretations. Some of those lend themselves to Apartheid kind of situations,” he noted.

He added that as much as the MK Party respects all cultures, they didn't want these cultures to abuse that and embrace practices that remind people of apartheid.

You can watch a clip of the party's visit below.

What you need to know about Orania

Orania was founded on principles that emphasise preserving Afrikaner culture and creating a secure, self-sufficient community free from power outages, government failures and widespread violence and inequality across much of the country.

The town developed its own infrastructure, water and electricity systems, roads and public amenities, and established an independent school system that teaches in Afrikaans, grounded in Christian values and practical education. Orania also introduced its own local currency, the Ora, to support its economy, which is driven by a network of small businesses that foster employment and self-reliance.

Members of the Orania community often stress that their society is not founded on racialism, but rather on the shared cultural and ancestral heritage of its residents. They take pride in having moved away from colonial-era labour structures; unlike many parts of South Africa, all roles in Orania, from gardening to cleaning, are carried out by white residents themselves. This, they argue, reflects a commitment to self-sufficiency and a sense of equality among community members.

SA defends Orania after EFF NC's comments

Briefly News reported that South Africans came out in support of Orania, a small town in the Karoo region.

Many social media users stated that the country could learn a lot from the residents of the town.

The EFF in the province wants something to be done about town, saying its existence weakened unity.

Source: Briefly News