WATCH: Dali Mpofu ‘sings’ national anthem without Die Stem

EFF chairperson Dali Mpofu led the party in singing the national anthem at the launch of their new manifesto at the Giant Stadium in Soshanguve, Gauteng, on Saturday.

The advocate and politician’s version of the anthem left out Die Stem, the Afrikaans section of the South African anthem adapted from the country’s anthem during apartheid, as well as the English section, concluding instead with Mayibuye iAfrica.

“Please can we all rise and sing Nkosi Sikelel’iAfrika without Die Stem van Suid Afrika,” Mpofu said.

His singing Nkosi Sikelel’iAfrika without the Afrikaans and English parts adopted in 1997 is not surprising, as both the party and its chairperson have made it clear that they do not recognise this part of the anthem before.

“How can any person happy to sing Die Stem van Suid Afrika post-1994 pretend to be offended when apartheid apologists display the old flag?” he tweeted in October 2017.

He added, when asked by a Twitter user if he has never sung the official version of the anthem before, that he has “never and will never” sing what he describes as a “racist” song “celebrating white supremacy”, as doing so would, in his view, be “sick”.

How can any person happy to sing Die Stem van Suid Afrika post 1994 pretend to be offended when apartheid apologists display the old flag??

— Dali Mpofu (@AdvDali_Mpofu) October 30, 2017

I have never and will never sing that racist song of celebrating white supremacy….I'm not that sick! https://t.co/OZE2KZBbAM

— Dali Mpofu (@AdvDali_Mpofu) October 30, 2017

Despite his earlier pronouncements on Die Stem, Mpofu’s decision to adapt the anthem divided social media, with some offended and others supportive of the decision.

This paid analyst on SABC says the Anthem which was sung at the #EFFManifestoLaunch is divisive, Mandela didn't like songs like that, He made people sing them correctly🙄

(Mind you the country is divided)

Where do they get these idiots?

"die stem" must be scrapped. Period.

— Sphithiphithi Evaluator (@_AfricanSoil) February 2, 2019

Did I just hear dali mpofu saying " let's sing national anthem without afrikaans part"? Is he not deviding the nation?

— Mr T 😃 (@Dzhavhelo1) February 2, 2019

The one on SABC? He says EFF started in the wrong foot by singing national anthem without die Stem and I asked myself where has this guy been bcs we all know by now that EFF doesn’t do diestem 🤷‍♂️

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— Motseki Mabuya (@MotsekiMabuya1) February 2, 2019

EFF Manifesto Launch: what is treasonous and not in SA? I thought the national anthem is entrenched in the constitution and therefore noncompliance is breaking the law. It's a pity under the ANCriminals government there's no consequence for breaking the law.

— Mantheo (@Zoex43053903) February 3, 2019

https://twitter.com/nkosazana_the/status/1091685746979815424

Some were less bothered by his exclusion of Die Stem then they were with what they felt was a sub-standard version of the anthem, with one user calling his version “the worst” since “Ras Dumisani” – a reference to a reggae singer who made headlines in 2009 for botching the anthem before a rugby match between South Africa and France.

That was thre worst version of the national anthem since Ras Dumisani. @AdvDali_Mpofu should be arrested for treason for desecrating the anthem like that….🤣🤣. @EFFSouthAfrica #EFFManifestoLaunch

— Winston Smith 0x 💉 🇿🇦 M🇺🇸💪A (@Andrew__Grant) February 2, 2019

https://twitter.com/GinahGee/status/1091663367331368964

One lone Twitter user accused the EFF of having stolen Mayibuye iAfrica, the song Mpofu chose to end the anthem with, from the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), in a tweet also listing things the user believes the party has “stolen” from the ANC.

So the EFF STEALS everything

*Mayibuye iAfrica – PAC
*EFF Gala Dinner before manifesto
*All ANC songs – they apparently have an album with Zuma songs
*ANC anthem (pre-1994)
*ANC policies

Yini kanti eyabo?😂#EFFManifestoLaunch

— Sphithiphithi Evaluator (@_AfricanSoil) February 2, 2019

At its manifesto launch, the EFF singled out its long-established seven pillars that it said would drive its 2019 elections campaign. These were:

• Expropriation of land without compensation.
• Nationalisation of mines, banks and other strategic sectors of the economy.
• Building state and government capacity, leading to the abolishment of tenders.
• Free quality education, healthcare, houses, and sanitation.
• Protected industrial development to create millions of sustainable jobs, including the introduction of a minimum wage to close the gap between the rich and the poor.
• Development of the African economy and advocating for a move from reconciliation to justice on the entire continent.
• Open, accountable, corrupt-free government, and a society without fear of victimisation by state agencies.

(Additional reporting by Brian Sokutu)

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