The South African National Front, also known as the National Front of South Africa (SANF) was a

neo-fascist Neo-fascism is a post-World War II far-right ideology that includes significant elements of fascism. Neo-fascism usually includes ultranationalism, racial supremacy, populism, authoritarianism, nativism, xenophobia, and anti-immigration s ...

organisation in South Africa formed in 1977. It was an initiative of John Tyndall of the

British National Front The National Front (NF) is a far-right, fascist political party in the United Kingdom. It is currently led by Tony Martin. As a minor party, it has never had its representatives elected to the British or European Parliaments, although it gai ...

; sister organisations were also formed in Australia and New Zealand at the same time. SANF's first Chairman was Jack Noble, with the party being organised during the 1970s by Ray Hill. SANF channelled funds to the NF as part of an international network of

neo-fascism Neo-fascism is a post-World War II far-right ideology that includes significant elements of fascism. Neo-fascism usually includes ultranationalism, racial supremacy, populism, authoritarianism, nativism, xenophobia, and anti-immigration s ...

. It moved beyond a mere gathering of

expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...

s when it linked up with Italian and Portuguese neo-fascists and the South African Ku Klux Klan. It also tried to link with the Afrikaner Resistance Movement (AWB) and the

Herstigte Nasionale Party The Herstigte Nasionale Party (Reconstituted National Party) is a South African political party which was formed as a far-right splinter group of the now defunct National Party in 1969. The party name was commonly abbreviated as HNP, evokin ...

(HNP) (from whom it received funding) with the ultimate aim of a single united racist/neo-fascist party in South Africa but this 'embryonic’ party never came to fruition. SANF published its own magazine ''Hitback''. It also "published a number of anti-black and ‘ anti-Zionist’ pamphlets which led to calls for it to be prosecuted for incitement to

racial hatred Ethnic hatred, inter-ethnic hatred, racial hatred, or ethnic tension refers to notions and acts of prejudice and hostility towards an ethnic group in varying degrees. There are multiple origins for ethnic hatred and the resulting ethnic conflic ...

", SANF’s policies would have led to a "massive increase in the death rate of black infants". By 1979 SANF's

antisemitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

led Jewish youths to threaten to take matters into their own hands;

Harry Schwarz Harry Heinz Schwarz (13 May 1924 – 5 February 2010) was a South African lawyer, statesman and long-time political opposition leader against apartheid in South Africa, who eventually served as the South African Ambassador to the United States ...

and Alf Widman of the

Progressive Federal Party The Progressive Federal Party (PFP) ( af, Progressiewe Federale Party) was a South African political party formed in 1977 through merger of the Progressive and Reform parties, eventually changing its name to the Progressive Federal Party. For it ...

called on the government to do something about the party. In 1979 the HNP replaced Noble as leader with Alan Fotheringham, a former HNP candidate, and Ray Hill returned to England.

Wit Kommando

SANF formed its own paramilitary wing Wit Kommando/White Commando, a not unusual development in the context of

right wing Right-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that view certain social orders and Social stratification, hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this pos ...

South African politics. In 1980 the Wit Kommando/White Commando began a campaign of

terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...

mainly against blacks. A number of bombings took place, notably against the offices of the

South African Institute of Race Relations Established in 1929,http://www.sairr.org.za/profile/ the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) is a research and policy organisation in South Africa. The institute is "one of the oldest liberal institutions in the country". The in ...

and the

University of South Africa The University of South Africa (UNISA), known colloquially as Unisa, is the largest university system in South Africa by enrollment. It attracts a third of all higher education students in South Africa. Through various colleges and affiliates, U ...

. In 1981 they planned to also attack whites whom they regarded as "white kaffirs" or race mixers. The South African police made arrests and discovered a hitlist of targets which included Bishop Desmond Tutu, the White Commando having previously "threatened him repeatedly". Fotheringham was not charged but Max (Massimo) Bollo from SANF's national directorate, and leader of the Italian associated grouping UNIDO, received a lengthy jail sentence, as did two other fellow Italians. SANF disbanded in the early 1980s.

References

{{Political history of South Africa , state=expanded Anti-black racism in South Africa Antisemitism in South Africa Anti-Zionism in Africa Defunct civic and political organisations in South Africa Organisations associated with apartheid Far-right politics Fascism in South Africa Racism in South Africa White nationalism in South Africa

Wit Kommando

See also

References