About 37,000 Afrikaners gathered at Pretoria's Voortrekker Monument to mark the Day of the Vow, a commemoration linked to the 1838 Battle of Blood River and the Great Trek. The event attracted international attention after figures tied to the Trump administration signalled support and Washington barred South Africa from early G20 technical meetings. Historians say the Great Trek's founding myth parallels the American Manifest Destiny narrative, and scholars warn that such migration myths can fuel contemporary fears and political mobilisation.
Afrikaners Hold Mass Day Of The Vow Pilgrimage In Pretoria As US Figures Voice Support
Thousands of Afrikaners gathered for an annual celebration (Wikus de Wet)(Wikus de Wet/AFP/AFP)
Nearly 37,000 Afrikaners gathered at the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria to mark the annual Day of the Vow pilgrimage, an observance tied to the 1838 Battle of Blood River and the Great Trek of Dutch-speaking settlers. The event drew renewed attention after figures associated with the Trump administration signalled support for Afrikaner concerns, and after Washington moved to bar South Africa from early G20 technical meetings amid a diplomatic row.
Attendees ranged from men in short-sleeved shirts and khaki shorts to women in traditional Voortrekker dresses. For many, the pilgrimage is both cultural and religious: it commemorates a vow made by settler ancestors in 1838 following a clash with Zulu forces.
"We just decided to come today because it felt like the right thing to do: to come and enjoy this important day in our language," said Johan Reid, 24, attending his first pilgrimage with his fiancée.
Treks And Destiny
The Great Trek, when Dutch-speaking settlers left the British Cape Colony and moved inland, remains a powerful founding narrative for many Afrikaners. Historians note parallels between that migration and the American idea of Manifest Destiny: both are stories in which colonists claimed the land despite the prior presence of indigenous peoples.
"The underlying ethos between Manifest Destiny and the Great Trek are similar: descendants of colonists who felt sure of their claim to the land despite the presence of people already living there," said Laura Mitchell, a history professor at the University of California, Irvine.
Migratory Waves And Political Resonance
Experts say migration myths and memories of persecution have long shaped identity politics. Joel Cabrita of Stanford's Center for African Studies observed that these narratives are being revisited today as some US right-wing groups spotlight South Africa, framing it as a site where whiteness is allegedly under threat. Cabrita also noted historical links such as US mercenaries who fought in Rhodesia in the 1960s and 70s.
Violence, Perception And Diplomatic Fallout
The pilgrimage gained added controversy after US President Donald Trump and allies described Afrikaners as "being killed and massacred". A planned visit to the monument by US Vice President JD Vance during last month's G20 summit was publicly discussed, but the United States ultimately boycotted the meeting and Washington barred South Africa from the G20's initial technical sessions amid the dispute.
On the ground, South African police statistics show a much wider picture of violent crime: 12 people were reported killed in rural areas between July and September this year, not all of them white, while nearly 5,800 homicides were recorded nationally over the same period. Many academics say that fears about targeted campaigns against white farmers are amplified by political rhetoric and perception more than by evidence of a coordinated campaign.
"The fear looks bigger than the actual risks," said Mitchell, summing up a common scholarly view that cultural anxiety helps sustain these narratives.
Since the end of apartheid the date has remained a public holiday, but was officially renamed the Day of Reconciliation in 1995 as part of national efforts to bridge historical divides. The recent convergence of a traditional Afrikaner commemoration with international political posturing has underlined how local memory and global politics can intersect and inflame tensions.
