Our national anthem pulls together the old and the new, five languages – and more than 49 million people.
Before South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, the country had two anthems – one official and one unofficial.
The official anthem was Die Stem, in English, The Call of South Africa.
The unofficial anthem, Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, was a symbol of independence and resistance to apartheid, sung by the majority of the population and at all anti-apartheid rallies and gatherings.
In the official anthem of the new South Africa, the two anthems merge into one.
The voice
Die Stem van Suid Afrika was originally a poem, written by CJ Langenhoven in May 1918.
The music was composed by the Reverend ML de Villiers in 1921.
At the time, the South African Broadcasting Corporation played both God save the King and Die Stem to close their daily radio broadcasts, and so the public became familiar with the Afrikaans anthem.
Die Stem was first sung publicly at the official hoisting of the national flag in Cape Town on 31 May 1928, but it was not until 2 May 1957 that the government accepted it as the official national anthem.
In 1962 the English version, The Call of South Africa, was accepted for official use.
Bless our nation
Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika was composed in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a Methodist mission school teacher.
The words of the first stanza were originally written in isiXhosa as a hymn.
Seven additional stanzas in isiXhoza were later added by the poet Samuel Mqhayi. A Sesotho version was published by Moses Mphahlele in 1942.
Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika became a popular church hymn that was later adopted as an anthem at political meetings, sung as an act of defiance.
The first stanza is generally sung in isiXhosa or isiZulu, followed by the Sesotho version.
The National Anthem
Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika, Maluphakanyisw’ uphondo lwayo,
Yizwa imithandazo yethu, Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo.
Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso, O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho,
O se boloke, O se boloke setjhaba sa heso,
Setjhaba sa South Afrika – South Afrika.
Uit die blou van onse hemel, Uit die diepte van ons see,
Oor ons ewige gebergtes, Waar die kranse antwoord gee,
Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand,
Let us live and strive for freedom, In South Africa our land.
Source: www.southafrica.info
