Once again, references to the Bible are being made in conjunction with racial views on non-white South Africans – but this time, the dude doing it looks more Voortrekker-inspired than hippie.

On a mission to create “Eden”, a new whites-only settlement modelled on the Afrikaners-only town of Orania, project leader Jaqui Gradwe’s initiative has been slowly gaining popularity and momentum.

Set to be established on a farm near Willowmore in the Eastern Cape, the 2 300 hectare piece of land will be completely off the grid so they can live “safely and independently”, far from urban areas.

Because, you know, urban areas are dangerous.

Gradwe is also the admin for the Die EDEN Projek Facebook group, which is private and will only accept white people who have no black Facebook friends.

They have amassed 1 500 people so far.

Holding farm viewings for “pioneers”, Gradwe and colleagues have started laying out 371 plots for the “people of the covenant.” Here’s a video he uploaded a month ago:

Although access to the Facebook page is limited, iol has insight into what has been discussed:

Often couching his statements with reference to the Bible and the destiny of Afrikaners, Gradwell has been keeping the 1 500 members of the Facebook page up to date with hundreds of posts about the project’s development. “It is everyone’s duty to contribute to the safety and protection of our nation, our values, our culture, our religion and our freedom,” he wrote (translated from the original Afrikaans).

Many of the Facebook group’s members have asked Gradwell to send them information packs, or to reserve plots. “I am looking for five adjacent plots,” posted one user this week. “Won’t you reserve ‘* mooi klompie (a nice bunch) for me?”

Despite Gradwell occasionally appealing to members to refrain from racist language, his statements include repeated offensive posts: “I again ask humbly that members with friends who are volksvreemd (racially different) – including blacks, coloureds, Indians and Muslims, remove these (from your Facebook page),” he wrote. “(These people) causes confidentially risks to our project.”

He said they were busy checking out members, “and will have to remove you”.

Get on it, Steve Hofmeyr, they’d be lucky to have you.

[source:iol]