HNP - Don’t Vote 1989

c.1989 General Election

This poster is a political artifact from South Africa’s apartheid era, specifically produced by the Herstigte Nasionale Party (HNP).

The HNP was a far-right Afrikaner nationalist party that broke away from the ruling National Party in 1969, believing the government was becoming too liberal in its implementation of apartheid.

• The Slogan: "Moenie stem vir jou en my ondergang" translates from Afrikaans to "Don’t vote for our downfall." This was a core rallying cry for the HNP, emphasizing racial purity and the preservation of white minority rule against any forms of integration or reform.

• The Imagery: The illustration depicts the “old South African flag”.

This poster highlights a common theme in nationalist propaganda, used to evoke a sense of vulnerability and the "need" to protect future generations of the volk (the people/nation) from perceived external and internal threats.

• "Jaap Marais" was the leader of the party.

Historical Context

The HNP, led by figures like Albert Hertzog and later Jaap Marais, positioned itself as the "true" guardian of Verwoerdian apartheid. They opposed any concessions, such as:

• The presence of Black spectators at sports matches.

• The establishment of diplomatic relations with independent African nations.

• Allowing "Maoris" to play in visiting New Zealand rugby teams.

General elections were held in South Africa on 6 September 1989, the last under apartheid. Snap elections had been called early (no election was required until 1992) by the recently elected head of the National Party (NP), F. W. de Klerk, who was in the process of replacing P. W. Botha as the country's president, and his expected program of reform to include further retreat from the policy of apartheid. The creation of the Conservative Party had realigned the NP as a moderate party, now almost certain to initiate negotiations with the black opposition, with liberal opposition (the PFP) openly seeking a new constitutional settlement on liberal democratic and federalist principles.

630mm x 880mm

R2,500