This gets complicated but the Boer people are in fact a distinct cultural group who are not part of the bulk of those who were labeled Afrikaners despite the fact that the Boers were among the first to be considered African before the descendants of the Cape Dutch took the term Afrikaner for themselves then later forced the Boers into this term to the detriment of their unique identity which was formed on the Cape frontiers away from the Cape Dutch / Afrikaners. While a number of modern Boers also often refer to themselves as Afrikaners & often justify it by noting that its definition is: African - the problem with this term is that it marginalizes the Boers & puts them under the domination of the more dominant Cape Dutch descended Afrikaners. The term Afrikaner obscures the fact that the Boerevolk are a distinct & independent nation which gets marginalized when lumping them in with those who are not part of their particular nation.
The main point though is that there is not & has never been a single macro White Afrikaans population group as the Boer segment is the smaller / poorer / less powerful segment within the total greater White Afrikaans speaking population. Just as not all North American English speakers are Canadians. The purpose of this blog is to inform the West about the history of the Boer people in particular & their current struggles who have [ as history as shown ] been dominated by the Afrikaners as well.
There are just 1.5 million Boer people / Boer descendants out of a total White Afrikaans population of 3.5 million. The purpose of pointing out the distinctiveness of the Boers is not about "diving" Afrikaans speakers [ which is as asinine as asserting that pointing out the distinction of the Canadians from the Americans "divides" North American English speakers ] but rather about empowering them in their struggle to regain their self determination which was robbed of them after the Anglo-Boer War.
The Boers have a distinct & unique history / culture & character which shaped them into a discernible & distinct people who are not part of the bulk of the Afrikaners who are mainly of Cape Dutch descent & have never historically engaged in the struggle for self determination. The macro State of South Africa as created by the British with the South Africa Act of 1909 marginalized the Boers as it forced them under the domination of the Cape Dutch descendants who were are more numerous under the Afrikaner designation. The Afrikaners were conditioned into usurping Boer history during the 20th cent & the Boers were conditioned into viewing themselves as Afrikaners stemming from political movements of the 1930's which promoted Afrikaner Nationalism [ a Cape Dutch controlled / Afrikaans version of British Imperialism ] which aimed in part to co-opt the impoverished Boer people & to prevent them from reclaiming their Boer Republics as they had initially tried to do during the 1914 Maritz Rebellion.
There are just 1.5 million Boer people / Boer descendants out of a total White Afrikaans population of 3.5 million. The purpose of pointing out the distinctiveness of the Boers is not about "diving" Afrikaans speakers [ which is as asinine as asserting that pointing out the distinction of the Canadians from the Americans "divides" North American English speakers ] but rather about empowering them in their struggle to regain their self determination which was robbed of them after the Anglo-Boer War.
The Boers have a distinct & unique history / culture & character which shaped them into a discernible & distinct people who are not part of the bulk of the Afrikaners who are mainly of Cape Dutch descent & have never historically engaged in the struggle for self determination. The macro State of South Africa as created by the British with the South Africa Act of 1909 marginalized the Boers as it forced them under the domination of the Cape Dutch descendants who were are more numerous under the Afrikaner designation. The Afrikaners were conditioned into usurping Boer history during the 20th cent & the Boers were conditioned into viewing themselves as Afrikaners stemming from political movements of the 1930's which promoted Afrikaner Nationalism [ a Cape Dutch controlled / Afrikaans version of British Imperialism ] which aimed in part to co-opt the impoverished Boer people & to prevent them from reclaiming their Boer Republics as they had initially tried to do during the 1914 Maritz Rebellion.
Furthermore to address your final sentence / contention. The Boers have had alliances with some local tribes in the past & do not "hate" the local cultural groups but just can not stand the growing genocide being inflicted upon them. The difference in culture includes a different dialect of Afrikaans [ which historians have noted was from what was termed Eastern Border Afrikaans ] to a historical strong desire for freedom & independence in Africa complete with historical dates of significant importance while the Afrikaners have had an ambivalent attitude towards independence & even towards the Boers themselves & do not share the same history as the Boer Nation.
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