South Africa's Afrikaners lost the Boer War of 1899-1902 but won the country. Even so, they remain suspicious of the English-speaking white minority, and in moments of political stress, the Afrikaners—whose native tongue is related to Dutch—trot out their sacred tribal memories of the bloody fighting between Boer and Briton. Thus last week, in the midst of a parliamentary debate, Defense Minister Piet Botha declared that there were elements of the predominantly English United Party "who hate the Afrikaner." An opposition member replied, "You're a scandalous liar," and walked out. One M.P. addressed another as "the Honorable Maggot." Other...
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