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'{{Infobox Writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox Writer/doc]] --> | name = Daniel François Roodt | image = | birthdate = {{Birth date and age|1957|5|26|df=y}} | birthplace = [[Springs, Gauteng|Springs]], [[Gauteng]], [[South Africa]] | occupation = Activist, Essayist, Novelist, Poet, Literary Critic. | nationality = [[South Africa]] | website = http://roodt.org | influences = | influenced = | awards = }} '''Dan Roodt''' (born Daniel François Roodt, 26 May 1957) is a South African [[activist]] and [[writer]]. ==Biography== ===Early Life and Education=== Roodt was born in the mining town of Springs, east of [[Johannesburg]], [[South Africa]]. He completed his schooling in Johannesburg, after which he enrolled for a [[Bachelors degree]] at the [[University of Witwatersrand]].<ref>http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article72497.ece</ref> Roodt lectured at the [[University of Durban-Westville]] for a while, and in [[1985]] left South Africa for [[France]] to avoid his mandatory service of two years in the South African Defence Force.<ref>http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article72497.ece</ref><ref>http://www.oulitnet.co.za/mond/danroodt.asp</ref> While studying in France, Roodt's political ideas changed; where he was once anti-establishment and opposed the [[Afrikaner]] government in South Africa, he became a staunch opposer of [[communism]].<ref>http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article72497.ece</ref> ===Career=== After returning to South Africa in [[1992]], Roodt worked for Citibank until [[1999]], and in [[2000]] he co-founded PRAAG (Pro-Afrikaanse Aksiegroep, or Pro-Afrikaans Action Group)<ref>http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article72497.ece</ref>, which describes itself as an extra-parliamentary movement devoted to the rights of Afrikaners.<ref>[http://www.praag.org/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=3&id=23&Itemid=117 PRAAG Homepage]</ref> PRAAG also has a publishing division, which has published some of Roodt's most recent writing. Roodt has also contributed columns to ''[[American Renaissance (magazine)|American Renaissance]]'', a [[white nationalist]] magazine. ===Activism=== Roodt has strong views on the preservation of Afrikaans and Afrikaner rights, which has led to some controversy in the South African [[mass media|media]].<ref>http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article72497.ece</ref><ref>http://www.oulitnet.co.za/mond/danroodt.asp</ref> He maintains a blog and the PRAAG website, commenting constantly on actual issues in South Africa. Roodt also regularly writes letters regarding political matters to various South African (mostly Afrikaans) newspapers and the literary [[e-zine]] LitNet.<ref>Venter, A. 2007. Book Review: ''Aweregs: politieke essays''. ''Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe'', 47(3):pp. 501-502.</ref> ===Recent Controversy=== Roodt recently caused slight controversy when creating an internet site for the purpose of insulting South African journalist, writer and activist [[Max du Preez]].<ref>http://www.rapport.co.za/printArticle.aspx?iframe&aid=4839fbea-c7f5-4e97-9aae-a090979114d7&cid=2315</ref> Roodt explained that he had set up the site 'so that everyone who has always wanted to say something about "this idiot and prat", but did not have the means, now has the opportunity'.<ref>http://www.rapport.co.za/printArticle.aspx?iframe&aid=4839fbea-c7f5-4e97-9aae-a090979114d7&cid=2315</ref> When contacted by Afrikaans Sunday newspaper [[Rapport]] for comment, Du Preez merely replied that 'it only confirms what I suspected: That Dan has a [[Homoeroticism|homo-erotic]] fixation with me'.<ref>http://www.nuus24.com/Content/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/1479/781e3207a1eb4375ae2eb325f7c643fe/10-01-2010-07-05/Du_Preez,_Roodt_kruis_swaarde</ref> As of June 2009 the site is still active. In March 2010 Roodt advised Afrikaners to support the [[Association football|football]] team of the [[Netherlands]] instead of the South African team ([[Bafana Bafana]]) in the [[Fifa World Cup]], which will be hosted by South Africa in June 2010<ref>http://www.rapport.co.za/printArticle.aspx?iframe&aid=4839fbea-c7f5-4e97-9aae-a090979114d7&cid=2315</ref>. In May 2010 Roodt travelled to Europe where he met with [[Neo-Nazi]] and far-right political associations to discuss the ideal of the Afrikaner [[Volkstaat]].<ref>http://www.rapport.co.za/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Roodt-soek-in-Europa-steun-van-neoNazis-20100605</ref> In [[Sweden]] he met with members of the Swedish Resistant Movement ([[Swedish language|Swedish]]: [[Svenska Motståndsrörelsen]])<ref>http://www.rapport.co.za/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Roodt-soek-in-Europa-steun-van-neoNazis-20100605</ref>, an openly [[militant]] Neo-Nazi organization that honours controversial figures such as [[Adolf Hitler]].<ref>[http://patriot.nu/artikel.asp?artikelID=1244 Patriot.nu]</ref> In Belgium Roodt met with [[Jared Taylor]], editor of the far-right magazine [[American Renaissance]] and also with members of the far-right Belgian political party [[Vlaams Belang]] ([[Dutch]] for "Flemish interest").<ref>http://www.rapport.co.za/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Roodt-soek-in-Europa-steun-van-neoNazis-20100605</ref> Roodt reportedly held talks with Flemish nationalist [[Filip Dewinter]], one of the leading members of Vlaams Belang, who has in the past been known to show sympathy to the causes of the [[Nazis]] during [[World War II]] and expressing [[racist]] and [[Homophobia|hompophobic]] views.<ref>Diercxsens, C. 2007. The double face of Flemish extreme right: Public propaganda VS. the real soul of Vlaams Belang. Catholic University of Leuven.</ref><ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIYlMUeYkYE</ref> The [[English Defence League]], a far-right organisation from the [[United Kingdom]] subscribe to his views of 'Anti-White Apartheid' in [[South Africa]] and have put links to his videos on the subject on their homepage.<ref>http://www.englishdefenceleague.org</ref> ===Writing=== Roodt's first novel, ''Sonneskyn en Chevrolet'' (Taurus, [[1980]]), is an anti-establishment commentary on South African society (and specifically Afrikaner society) of that time.<ref>Kannemeyer, J.C. 2005. ''Die Afrikaanse literatuur, 1652-2004''. Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau. p.608.</ref> His only published volume of [[poetry]] to date, ''Kommas uit 'n boomzol'' (Uitgewery Pannevis, 1980), structurally parodies ''Komas uit 'n bamboesstok'' (Human & Rousseau, [[1979]]), a volume of poetry by famous Afrikaans poet [[D.J. Opperman]].<ref>Kannemeyer, J.C. 2005. ''Die Afrikaanse literatuur, 1652-2004''. Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau. p.608</ref> Afrikaans [[literary critic]] [[John Christoffel Kannemeyer|John Kannemeyer]] asserts that there is 'no one poem of any intrinsic value' in ''Kommas uit 'n boomzol'', and similarly views Roodt's subsequent prose work ''Twee sinne'' (Taurus, 1985).<ref>Kannemeyer, J.C. 2005. ''Die Afrikaanse literatuur, 1652-2004''. Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau. p.608.</ref> Roodt's first publication after ''Twee sinne'' is a long critical [[essay]] on the South African [[Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)|Truth and Reconciliation Commission]] (TRC) entitled ''Om die Waarheidskommissie te vergeet'' ('Forgetting the Truth Commission', [[2001]]). This would be PRAAG's first publication of one of Roodt's works. In 2004, PRAAG published the novel ''Moltrein'', which is about a promising musician who leaves South Africa during the 1980s to avoid military service in the South African Defence Force. Kannemeyer notes that the use of the Afrikaans language in this novel is testament to the author's ineptness with using the language, and that with this novel Roodt makes no new contribution to the Afrikaans literature.<ref>Kannemeyer, J.C. 2005. ''Die Afrikaanse literatuur, 1652-2004''. Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau. p.609.</ref> In [[2005]] Roodt released ''The Scourge of the ANC'' (PRAAG), a heavy critique against the ANC, but also against the former South African government under leadership of [[FW de Klerk]].<ref>http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article72497.ece.</ref> The following year, ''Aweregs'' (PRAAG, [[2006]]), another collection of political essays, was released. Regarding ''Aweregs'', Venter notes that if the ultimate aim of the book is <blockquote> to demonstrate the author's pessimism regarding Africa, the [[African National Congress]] (ANC), "the new" South Africa, and supporters of the idea that Afrikaans can only survive by developing [[multilingualism]] in South Africa, then Roodt's vision succeeds. But it is a limited and distressing vision. ''Aweregs'' is in that case merely a sly, polemical work for the sake of being mean and controversial.<ref>Venter, A. 2007. Book Review: ''Aweregs: politieke essays''. ''Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe'', 47(3):pp. 501-502.</ref> </blockquote> ===Personal life=== Roodt currently lives with his wife, Karin (née Bredenkamp), and their three children in Dainfern [[Golf]] and Country Estate in Johannesburg, South Africa.<ref>http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article72497.ece</ref> ==See Also== * [[Afrikaner]] * [[Afrikaner nationalism]] * [[Boer]] * [[Orania, Northern Cape]] * [[Volkstaat]] * [[White nationalism]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * [http://roodt.org/ Roodt's personal blog] * [http://praag.org/ Homepage of the Pro-Afrikaans Action Group] * [http://therightperspectivepodcastblog.blogspot.com/2006/03/hello-africa-dr-dan-roodt.html Hello, Africa! Interview: Discussion of a Boer Volkstaddt] {{DEFAULTSORT:Roodt, Dan}} [[Category:South African writers]] [[Category:1957 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Afrikaans-language writers]] [[Category:White nationalists]] [[af:Dan Roodt]]'