Changes

After the formation of the Union, there was a deliberate attempt to assimilate the Boers with the Cape-based Afrikaners. Although this had some success in the 20th century, recently it became increasingly clear that the Boers and Afrikaners have remained distinct cultural groups. Many Boers were represented in the National Party that ruled the country from 1924 to 1934 and again from 1948 to 1994. It was the influence of Boer Nationalism that led to the formation of the independent Republic of [[South Africa]] on May 31, 1961 under ledership of Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd. In the late 1980s, most Boers left the National Party and joined the [[Conservative Party of South Africa]] and some already joined the [[Re-constituted National Party]] some 15-20 years earlier. <ref>http://www.crwflags.com/FOTW/flags/za%7Dkp.html</ref> In the 1992 referendum, virtually all Boers voted against the trasformation of South Africa into a multiracial state.