Willem Ratte - the Legend
The life and ideals of a German Boer
in the fight for freedom and justice in South Africa
by
Claus Nordbruch
Dedicated to
Zaanzie Ratte,
Christina, Wimpie, Johannes and Maria
Introduction
![]() Willem Ratte - the Legend: The life and ideals of a German Boer in the fight for freedom and justice in South Africa, by Claus Nordbruch [English PDF] [Afrikaans PDF] |
This modest booklet would not have appeared had it not been for the assistance given to me by Mrs Zaanzie Ratte and Mr Horst Graefe. The photographs of the Ombili Foundation were made available by Mr Dawid van der Merwe; those from the fifties to eighties are personal property of the Ratte family, and we are indebted to them for making these available. The remaining photographs were taken by the author. Thanks are also due to my wife Tina for her patient proofreading or the original manuscript.
This first edition was written in five very hectic days and sleepless nights. We ask for the reader's indulgence in this respect; a comprehensive biography of Willem Ratte should not be expected.
Neither were the following pages intended to be a comprehensive historical study or a political manifesto. However, I did make a special effort to respond to the request, voiced by many concerned and sympathetic persons, to produce a review of Willem Ratte's life, ideals and influence to date as soon as possible.
The decisive reason for publishing this book is as simple as it is tragic. The South African government under Nelson Mandela is being confronted by a tremendous legal scandal - and it is keeping silent. It is silencing it to death. In the interests of justice and humanity, this silence must be broken. Numerous highly esteemed and serious-minded international organisations and interest groups, but also idealistic individuals have realised the seriousness of the situation, heeded the call of the moment and intervened for Willem Ratte's release during the past weeks. Despite this, the government of the rainbow nation, though claiming to strive for truth and reconciliation, is turning a deaf ear or indulges itself with nothing more than implausible and high-sounding phrases devoid of meaning.
Since his scandalous sentence on 3 May, one of South Africa's best officers has been on a hunger strike. This account endeavours to explain what commandant Ratte hopes to achieve by his selfsacrificing resistance. Whatever course the miscarriage of justice of which Willem Ratte was the victim may take, if the practising of double standards that has by now become entrenched and the suppression of undesirable peoples continue, South Africa will ultimately have only one future - civil war.




