Tom Page’s erroneous CNN report of Orania duly exposed by Afrikaner businessman

CNN journalist Tom Page 

Orania has been the mainstream media’s object of scorn for many years. It is regarded by many as the last outpost of occidental Christian civilisation in Africa, overseen by the Afrikaner – an indigenous Afrikaans speaking white minority group that has lived in southern Africa for nearly 400 years, also referred to as Boers.

Some of the town’s residents are fed up with being bullied and misrepresented by the international mainstream media. None more so than local entrepreneur Quintin Diederichs who famously took on the BBC and their reporter Pumza Fihlani in an open letter following her disgraceful account of Orania back in October 2014.

Next in line is CNN’s Tom Page, who contacted Diederichs on 2 December 2016 while doing research for his article “Inside Orania, South Africa’s whites-only town” that was published on CNN’s website on 20 December 2016.

“What really disgusted me was the complete lack of journalistic integrity on the part of Mr. Page,” explained Diederichs, citing the outrageous claim made by Page and co-author Kasja Norman that “the current murder rate of white South Africans is also equivalent to, or lower than, murder rates for whites recorded between 1979 and 1991”.

“The mainstream media are just not getting it. They are only emboldening our resilience when taking cheap shots at us for being so-called racist isolationists and then drawing comparisons between Afrikaners who stand for their internationally accepted right to self determination and movements like those of Donald Trump and Brexit,” says Diederichs.

He added that “had I been an American, I would’ve voted for Trump in any event as his policies are logical to the core for all those who strive toward prosperity through hard work in a free market economy and intelligent decision-making that puts the interests of their own first and in so doing not having to rely on handouts from other nations to survive”.

This is a view shared by most, if not all of Orania’s citizens,  hence the target on Orania’s back. Here’s Diederichs’s reply to Page’s correspondence after reading the article:

Hi Tom

Interesting article about Orania, thanks.

I really enjoyed all the old photo’s you managed to retrieve from the archives as they served to remind me how far our economy and community have come. Funny how a mere 1 300 Afrikaners can get so much done in so little time. Zero unemployment, zero murder rate, zero infant fatality rate, 90% plus literacy rate, 10% plus economic growth rate p.a. and virtually no pollution. At last… a success story coming out of Africa, although your article didn’t quite portray the reality in which I live each day.

It would be great to show you around some day. I understand that you haven’t actually been to Orania, yet you have a lot to say about us. Well, I can tell you that being one of many entrepreneurs that have invested millions in Orania, your intro got me laughing out loud. Not many articles have that effect on me, so well done!

To give you some context, I recently bought property in a new development in Orania that cost me the same as a property of the exact same size, located on a prime gated golf community in Johannesburg would’ve cost me. When I enquired about purchasing the land next to my newly acquired stand, I was informed that all the properties on the entire hill have been sold out. Bummer. I wish the developer shared your opinion in that this is “not prime real estate by any stretch of the imagination”, as I would’ve been able to get a much better deal…

In any event, I’ll build a B&B with a lovely view of the impressive Orange River flowing past green Orania. Sure, we’re located in an “arid and weather-beaten region” – far less so than Phoenix, Scottsdale or Las Vegas and a lot easier to farm than you might think, but I get your point.

From a ROI point of view, I’ll make a killing because Orania’s accommodation offering simply can’t keep up with the high demand. Worth noting that Orania’s B&B’s, guest houses, resort, hotel etc. are all reaching occupancy figures that beat most destinations in southern Africa hands down. I’ll give you a nice discount if you ever decide to visit Orania and stay at my soon to be built establishment. I’ll even give you a room with a view, so that you can write a more accurate article next time. Orania “deplorable”… really?

Regarding the rest of your article, all I can say is that it would’ve been great if you did a bit more research instead of relying on one main source, who incidentally is quoting statistics that are laughable to say the least.

Since the ANC came to power in 1994, thousands of white farmers have lost their lives in the most barbaric and heinous farm attacks imaginable. The leader of the ANC and current state president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, has recently been in the headlines for chanting “kill the Boer, kill the farmer”. Julius Malema, the ex youth leader of the ANC and current leader of one of the main opposition parties in South Africa only last month told a crowd of supporters that they “are not calling for the slaughter of white people‚ at least for now”. His political party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), are openly threatening to follow in Zimbabwe’s footsteps by occupying white owned land. The EFF is the third largest political party in South Africa.

The unprecedented rise in violent crime targeted at white farmers prompted a number of NGO’s, including UNPO and Genocide Watch, to send fact finding missions to South Africa. What they found is disturbing to say the least. Judging by the substance of your article, it’s clear that you haven’t read these reports.

Suffice to say, the South African Police Service have recently classified farm murders a “priority crime”, finally buckling under mounting pressure applied by local and international NGO’s. Do some research on this topic, get the facts and then read the section re. black on white crime in your article again.

All peoples and nations have the right to self determination. This is one of the fundamental rights enshrined in the UN Charter of Human Rights (Chapter 1, Article 1, part 2). This right also applies to the Afrikaner nation and constitutes the ideological foundation on which Orania is built, yet you didn’t make any mention of this in your article. We have the will and right to govern ourselves. The mere existence of Orania is proof of this.

We strive toward peace, liberty and dignity. Don’t you and your colleagues at CNN believe in these principles? Or do these basic rights not apply to the Afrikaner in your view?

Your article seems to mock the quintessence and the raison d’etre of Orania. At least your conclusion insinuated that we’re not entirely mad, all be it Carel Boshoff’s words and not yours. Perhaps it’s only fitting that I too conclude with the words of a great leader, one you might know a bit more about…

“National aspirations must be respected; people may now be dominated and governed only by their own consent. Self determination is not a mere phrase; it is an imperative principle of action.” – Woodrow Wilson.

Kind regards

Quintin