"Die stem" must fall – Malema
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is demanding of the South African government to delete Die Stem from the country’s official anthem.
EFF tabled the demand while they were marking the 120th anniversary of Sontonga’s Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika. “…We mark the 120th anniversary of the death of Enoch Sontonga who composed Nkosi Sikelel iAfrika. “On this day, in 1905, Sontonga died at the age of 32 leaving a revolutionary African melody behind that continued to live over a century beyond his age, mobilizing millions of Southern Africans into the struggle against colonial oppression,” EFF established.
To the Fighters, Nkosi Sikelela is a call for blessings for Africa and its people. “It is an existential plea at the end of the 19th century to a God who seemed deaf to the African cry and blind to its suffering. “Hence the call that God may hear our prayers: essentially a prayer to bless Africa, to save it and to dwell in it with his Holy Spirit. At this stage the African was faced with what would be a long cold night of humiliation and suffering at the feet of European conquest and colonization,” EFF said.
Malema’s party asserted that the anniversary of Nkosi Sikelela and that of Sontogna’s death must reignite the quest for a blessed Africa. Adding that the prayer and dream of Songtonga was for an African in which the Holy Spirit is a resident and its people are blessed, living in peace with each other and with the continent, EFF expressed that the prayer of Sontoga’s Africa will be achieved through the realization of Economic Freedom.
“We believe that Africa’s blessing, peace and her stability will be attained when her lands and minerals begin to work, not for the exploitative multinationals, but for all her people,” stated the party. Thereafter, the Fighters called on the government to delete Die Stem from South Africa’s official Anthem in recognition of Sontonga. Check Out – SA Apartheid Regime: Did You Know ANC Killed More Black People – EFF EFF argued that the inclusion of Die Stem is an adulteration of Sontonga’s prayer. And, that it’s as though Nkosi Sikelela is only made complete by adding what were considered European languages to it.
“Yet, Die Stem is a symbol of a regime Sontonga was praying against, and whose idea of Africa contradicted that of Sontonga’s with violence to the humanity of Africans. “Die Stem must fall and make way for what had become the liberation struggle anthem, adopted not only by South Africa, but Zambia, Tanzania, Namibia and Zimbabwe as an official anthem after independence,” agitated the Fighters.
Malema’s party asserted that the anniversary of Nkosi Sikelela and that of Sontogna’s death must reignite the quest for a blessed Africa. Adding that the prayer and dream of Songtonga was for an African in which the Holy Spirit is a resident and its people are blessed, living in peace with each other and with the continent, EFF expressed that the prayer of Sontoga’s Africa will be achieved through the realization of Economic Freedom. “We believe that Africa’s blessing, peace and her stability will be attained when her lands and minerals begin to work, not for the exploitative multinationals, but for all her people,” stated the party. Thereafter, the Fighters called on the government to delete Die Stem from South Africa’s official Anthem in recognition of Sontonga.
EFF argued that the inclusion of Die Stem is an adulteration of Sontonga’s prayer. And, that it’s as though Nkosi Sikelela is only made complete by adding what were considered European languages to it. “Yet, Die Stem is a symbol of a regime Sontonga was praying against, and whose idea of Africa contradicted that of Sontonga’s with violence to the humanity of Africans. “Die Stem must fall and make way for what had become the liberation struggle anthem, adopted not only by South Africa, but Zambia, Tanzania, Namibia and Zimbabwe as an official anthem after independence,” agitated the Fighters.