National Anthem

Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika

Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika
Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo,
Yizwa imithandazo yethu,
Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo.

Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso,
O fedise dintwa la 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.

History

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika was composed in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a teacher at a Methodist mission school in Johannesburg. It was one of many songs he composed, and he was apparently a keen singer who composed the songs for his pupils.

The words of the first stanza were originally written in Xhosa as a hymn. In 1927 seven additional Xhosa stanzas were later added by Samuel Mqhayi, a poet.

Most of Sontonga's songs were sad, witnessing the suffering of African people in Johannesburg, but they were popular and after his death in 1905 choirs used to borrow them from his wife.

Solomon Plaatje, one of South Africa's greatest writers and a founding member of the ANC, was the first to have the song recorded. This was in London in 1923. A Sesotho version was published in 1942 by Moses Mphahlele.

The Rev J L Dube's Ohlange Zulu Choir popularised Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika at concerts in Johannesburg, and it became a popular church hymn that was also adopted as the anthem at political meetings.

For decades Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika was regarded as the national anthem of South Afrika by the oppressed and it was always sung as an act of defiance against the apartheid regime. A proclamation issued by the State President on 20 April 1994 stipulated that both Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika and Die Stem (the Call of South Africa) would be the national anthems of South Africa. In 1996 a shortened, combined version of the two anthems was released as the new National Anthem

There are no standard versions or translations of Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika so the words vary from place to place and from occasion to occasion. Generally the first stanza is sung in Xhosa or Zulu, followed by the Sesotho version.

National Flag

The South African flag is the only national flag in the world that has six colours forming a large part of the pattern. People are always wondering what the colours mean.

The red, sometimes thought to represent the Communist party, is another colour red - chilli red, which is somewhere between orange and red. This makes the flag brighter than if it had been a pure red. The design is what is important - it shows a sense of coming together, bringing together all the different peoples and practices of South Africa and going on ahead altogether.

Our multi-coloured flag may have had something to do with the acceptance of the term, Rainbow Nation, which was used by the famous Anglican Archbishop Tutu to describe the new South Africa after 1994.

But it was even before 1994 - in fact in 1990, after the release of Nelson Mandela from jail - that we began selecting a new national flag for South Africa to replace the old orange, blue and white one. In 1993 a National Symbols Commission was appointed to do this tactfully (remember, 1994 was still to come when the first democratic elections would be held). This Commission then invited the public to send designs for a new flag.

Even though more than 7 000 designs were sent in, the Negotiating Council, who had appointed the National Symbols Commission, and the public did not find any that were suitable. Design studios were also invited to produce design but these were also not found to be suitable and still there was no national flag!

In 1994, just a few months before the elections, a technical committee was brought together and led by the State Herald, Fred Brownell. They had one week to find a flag. In two days they came up with four designs, all to do with the ideas of linking or joining up. Two of these designs were sketches that Fred Brownell had made the year before when he had been in Switzerland at a vexillological (flag specialists') congress. It was one of these that was finally presented the month before elections were due. It was approved. The design was approved by both sides of the transitional governement then and also sent to Nelson Mandela who happened to be in Rustenburg so he received it and approved it by fax!

This bright flag with its lines of colour that come together was to be the 'interim' flag for South Africa. This was because the country had an 'interim' constitution at that point, which meant it was just for the time being (the real constitution would only be approved in 1996).

The people of South Africa saw it hoisted above their country in April for the first time as they went to the polls for their first democratic elections.

By the time President Mandela was inaugurated two weeks later, we already loved our flag. It first represented South Africa at the 15th Commonwealth Games in Canada.

When the interim government ended and we had our own constitution, the 'interim' flag was already hugely popular and there was no talk or chance of changing it. It has since gone into space with Mark Shuttleworth in 2002 and been planted on Mount Everest by Sibusiso Vilane in 2003.

National Coat Of Arms

 

The meaning of all the symbols above is:

The motto

The motto is: !ke e: /xarra //ke, written in the Khoisan language of the /Xam people, literally meaning: diverse people unite. It calls for the nation to unite in a common sense of belonging and national pride - Unity in Diversity.

Elephant Tusks

Elephants symbolise wisdom, strength and eternity.

The ears of wheat

An emblem of fertility, they also symbolise the idea of germination, growth and development of what can be. They relate to the nourishment of the people and the agricultural aspects of the earth.

The shield

It is a display of identity and of spiritual defence..

The human figures

The figures are derived from images on the Linton stone, a world famous example of South African Rock Art, now housed and displayed in the South African Museum in Cape Town. The Khoisan are the oldest known inhabitants of our land and most probably of the earth. The figures are greeting. This also represents the beginning of each person's transformation into a greater belonging to the nation and to Humanity.

The spear and knobkierie

Both symbols of defence and authority. The spear and knobkierie are lying down, symbolising peace.

The protea

The protea is an emblem of the beauty of our land and the flowering of our potential as a nation. The protea symbolises all the forces that grow from the earth and are nurtured from above. The most popular colours of Africa have been given to the protea - green, gold, red and black.

The secretary bird

The secretary bird is shown to look like growth and speed. This bird of the air is the equivalent of the lion on earth. This powerful bird's legs serve it well in its hunt for snakes and that symbolises protection of the nation against enemies. This bird is a messenger of the heavens and is a symbol of divine majesty. Its uplifted wings are an emblem of the uplifting of our nation. The bird is depicted in gold, which links it to the sun and the highest power.

The rising sun

The sun is bright, splendid and the best example of the nature of energy. It symbolises knowledge, good judgement and willpower. It is the symbol of the source of life, of light and the ultimate wholeness of Humanity.