4 , ▁many ▁prominent ▁figures ▁of ▁South ▁African ▁political ▁life , ▁including ▁all ▁leaders ▁of ▁the ▁government , ▁were ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Af rik an er ▁Bro ederb ond . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁ ▁Descri bed ▁later ▁as ▁an ▁" inner ▁san ct um ", ▁" an ▁immense ▁inform al ▁network ▁of ▁influence ", ▁and ▁by ▁Jan ▁Sm uts ▁as ▁a ▁" d anger ous , ▁c unning , ▁political ▁fasc ist ▁organization ", ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁J ong ▁Z uid ▁A frika , ▁now ▁rest y led ▁as ▁the ▁Af rik an er ▁Bro ederb ond , ▁was ▁a ▁grouping ▁of ▁ 3 7 ▁white ▁men ▁of ▁Af rik an er ▁eth nic ity , ▁A frika ans ▁language , ▁and ▁the ▁Cal vin ist ▁faith , ▁who ▁shared ▁cultural , ▁semi - rel ig ious , ▁and ▁deeply ▁political ▁object ives ▁based ▁on ▁trad itions ▁and ▁experiences ▁d ating ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁Dutch ▁white ▁sett lers , ▁French ▁H ug uen ots , ▁and ▁German ▁at ▁the ▁Cape ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁and ▁ 1 8 th ▁centuries ▁and ▁including ▁the ▁dram atic ▁events ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁Tre k ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 8 4 0 s . ▁I vor ▁Wil kins ▁and ▁Hans ▁S try dom ▁rec ount ▁how , ▁on ▁the ▁occasion ▁of ▁its ▁ 5 0 th ▁anni versary , ▁a ▁leading ▁bro eder ▁( bro ther ▁or ▁member ) ▁said : ▁▁ ▁The