Maybe next time–if there is a next time–they won’t vote for their own destruction again.
On October 9, 2010 Georgian TV news program aired a detailed report about plans for the resettlement of white farmers of South Africa to Georgia. This program has become in fact an official announcement about the project.
In addition to interviews with the Boers and reportage from South Africa, the program shows Boers visiting Georgia and the signing in late August 2010 of a memorandum of cooperation between the Georgian government and the Organization of the farmers of South Africa, uniting 41,000 Afrikaner families, approx. 150 thousand people. Plans are not only real but are already under implementation.
Speaking on Georgian TV, the representative of white farmers said that the South African government is forcing white farmers give away 30% of their land to the blacks. But black farmers do not produce anything and do not want to produce.
And so, Georgia made an offer to the white farmers. Minister of Diaspora Affairs of Georgia and the South African farmers’ organization have signed a memorandum at the end of August 2010. It’s main point is to offer Transvaal farmers to move and transfer their agricultural businesses to Georgia.
Minister for Diaspora Affairs says that Georgia is ready to receive all the white farmers of South Africa – 41,000 families (about 150 thousand people), give them land for free and simplify obtaining all the necessary documents.
It is assumed that, like at home, the Boers in Georgia will be engaged in wine production and animal husbandry. The first farmer from South Africa, William De Klerk had already received Georgian citizenship.
“The idea of the Georgian government to bring the farmers here is very good. They can contribute a lot to Georgia. The situation in South Africa is getting worse every day. If Georgia will guarantee the personal safety of Boer farmers and their property, then this initiative will have great success “- says De Klerk.
The head of the organization of Transvaal farmers: “Every farmer must decide whether or not he will go to Georgia. Here (in South Africa) our main problem is the security. Since the black majority came to the government, more than 3000 farmers have been murdered. Often even the police takes part in the attacks. We do not know if we will have any land left. We have great experience and we are well known on the international market. ”
Just six weeks after the signing of the memorandum, in early October, the delegation of Transvaal farmers arrived in Georgia. The delegation inspected in detail the proposed land and met with officials, acquainted with the general situation in Georgia. The Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili personally told them about the situation in the country and demonstrated the effectiveness of the Georgian police. Farmers received personal number plates as a gift from the minister and got issued Georgian international driving licenses in 10 minutes. In South Africa, this process takes 3 months. The Boers also had a rugby match with a team of Georgian officials, but special attention was paid to the viticulture – in fact the main occupation of the farmers, along with livestock, is wine making, they produce the world famous South African wines. The Boers took part in rtveli (traditional grape harvest) in Kakheti and learned about Saperavi – a unique Georgian red wine grape of late maturing, from which famous wine of the same name is made. The delegation recorded in detail the entire trip, video footage will be shown to all members of farmers’ associations (41 thousand families) in South Africa, who will see and hear what their representatives saw Georgia.
And here’s a video from a SA news channel