South Africans Weigh In on Gayton McKenzie’s Appearance at Afrikaner Day of the Vow
- Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, joined Afrikaners at the Day of the Vow event in Pretoria East
- The historic event was commemorated at the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria on Tuesday, 16 December 2025
- According to the Freedom Front Plus, the event seeks to honour the heroes who shaped Afrikaner history and identity
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Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
Source: Twitter
South Africans on social media shared their thoughts on the historic Afrikaner 'Day of the Vow' event. This comes after Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, joined the Afrikaners at the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria on Tuesday, 16 December 2025.
Afrikaners celebrate 'Day of the Vow'
Barry Muller from the Voortrekker Monument said that 16 December is an important day for Afrikaners. Speaking to SABC News, he explained that the vow was made on this day in 1838 and that it is commemorated because the Voortrekkers believed they were protected during the Battle of Blood River. Muller added that the commemoration is open to everyone and aims to be a meaningful event.
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The day is significant to Afrikaners and traces its origins to the Battle of Blood River on 16 December 1838. Before the battle, 464 Voortrekkers made a vow to God that if they were spared from the thousands of Zulu warriors they faced, they would honour the day as a sacred occasion in remembrance of their deliverance.
Minister McKenzie said that 16 December should mark an end to South Africans holding separate celebrations. He noted that it is called Reconciliation Day for a reason and acknowledged the progress made by attending one another’s events, but said this was still not enough. McKenzie added that South Africans are the children of Nelson Mandela and should work towards true unity.
Source: Twitter
South Africans weigh in
Social media users shared their opinions regarding the event.
@Clemsito said:
"If it were reconciliation, Zulus would be commemorating this with them, just like how the Isandlwana did!"
@KhotsiALutendo said:
"It made sense on Heritage Day, but little sense on a day of reconciliation. There’s nothing that says reconciliation when you are commemorating a day you defeated another tribe."
@Voidy123 said:
"I see a lot of people having an issue with Afrikaners fulfilling a promise they made to God. This will always be 'Geloftedag' to Afrikaners, it will never change."
@IamNtandoSibizo said:
"So Gayton celebrates the defeat of Zulu regiments?"
@Waar_en_Wolhaar said:
"The meaning of the 'Day of the Vow' for observant Afrikaners is lost in the maelstrom, same as the founding of the real Umkonto we Sizwe on this day in 1961. So I ask, who remembered the founding of the real MK today, instead of just being angry at observant Afrikaners?"
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Source: Briefly News
