Transvaal (South Africa)

Last modified: 1997-09-03 by alessio bragadini
Keywords: zoutspansberg | kruisvlag | saltire | south africa | transvaal | afrikaner volksfront | vierkleur | boer |
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by giuseppe bottasini

• The Vierkleur
• This flag in the old SA one
• War flag of Boer War
• Use of Transvaal flag by Boer movements
• Zoutspansberg

• Provinces of South Africa
• South Africa
• Flags of Boer movements

The "vierkleur" (4 colour) design was first used by the Boer Republic of Land Goosen (Republiek van Land Goshen) between 1881-84 where the vertical stripe was green and the horizontal stripes were black, white and red.

This was followed by the New Republic (Nuwe Republiek) between 1884-88 whose flag had a blue vertical stripe and red, white and green horizontal stripes. The Suid-Afrikaanse Republiek (SAR/Transvaal) flew the now traditional "vierkleur" of a green vertical stripe and red, white and blue horizontal stripes between 1858-1902. The Combined Republican Flag of the Anglo Boer War has an orange stripe added under the entire "vierkleur" (the so called "vyfkleur" - 5 colours).
bruce berry 14-JUN-1996

The green in the flag stands for hope and youthfulness.
mark sensen 3-OCT-1995

This flag was one of the three inserted in the white strip in South Africa's old flag. It is sometimes used by pro-apartheid white movements.
giuseppe bottasini

The Zoutpansberg are a range of mountains in the northern Transvaal at the base of which the Voortrekkers established the town of Louis Trichardt. The modern spelling is Soutpansberg (which literally translated means salt pan mountains!).
The Voortrekker vlag (also know as the Kruisvlag or the Potgieter Vlag after Voortrekker General AH Potgieter) was used between 1836 and 1840 and was a red saltire on a blue background.
bruce berry 5-OCT-1995

This is the war flag of the former South African Republic (Transvaal), used during the Boer War.
carsten linke 14-JUN-1996

Transvaal flag (or Vierkleur) is used by the Afrikaner Volksfront (Afrikaner People's Movement, AVF) as their Vryheidsflag (Freedom's flag), with an orange stripe replacing the red one.
filip van laenen 3-OCT-1995

The "vierkleur" design has also been adopted by the Boerestaatparty - another Afrikaner organisation seeking an indpendent "volkstaat" - with the vertical stripe in green and the horizontal stripes, black, white and blue.
bruce berry 14-JUN-1996

The vierkleur in different coloured variations seems to be indeed a very popular symbol of Boer movements. There are not so many national flags of this type in the world, I think only the one of the United Arab Emirates.
carsten linke 14-JUN-1996