H
ere’s a little history shared by
Avron Jacobson, the Western
Cape Freemason’s Grand
Master. “Freemasonry is the
world’s oldest and largest
international brotherhood. It is, and
always has been, dedicated to the moral
and spiritual upliftment of good men,”
Freemasonry in South Africa may not be
as popular as it was around the 1900s,
but this reclusive group still has a strong
presence in the country today.
For instance, whether you believe it or not,
the very ground upon which Parliament
stands legally belongs to them. And
remember, this is where the final draft of
our constitution was drawn up.
So did they influence our Bill of Rights?
The first South African Freemason lodge
was formed in Cape Town. It was 1772,
30 years before the actual temple was
built. The Masons were so intertwined
with the government of the time that
Parliament used a Masonic banquet hall
as their venue from 1854 to 1884.
However, in a segregated nation like
South Africa, the Masonic emphasis
on Brotherhood could never really live
outside the white population. Hence
many people believe they may be
responsible for ‘planting the seeds of
apartheid’.
Perhaps the most important (some might
say frightening) aspect of the masons is
how they still have an unspoken power in
many countries. And although they insist
that their teachings are aimed at creating
honorable men and liberty for all, they
still refuse the participation of women.
So the lingering question still remains:
With such a secretive society, how can
we separate fact from fiction? Does
their relationship with the South African
government have anything to do with the
huge gap between the rich and the p