2Y ENGLISH

SPRING 2021
SOUTH AFRICA – DIVERSE PEOPLE UNITE: WHO ARE THE SOUTH AFRICANS?

LESSON 1: WHO ARE THE SOUTH AFRICANS?

QUESTIONS FOR “SOUTH AFRICA – DIVERSE PEOPLE UNITE?”

 How do the South Africans define their national identity?

 How does that national identity translate into literature, art, and film?
 What is the history of South Africa and how do we see that in literature?
 What are some of the main issues/challenges on the South African social and political
agenda?
 Who are some of the biggest writers and artists in South Africa and what can they teach us
about South African national identity?

TODAY’S QUESTIONS

 What can South Africa’s national anthem teach us about national identity in South Africa?
 How do the South Africans define their national identity?
 What is Afrikaans slang?
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SPRING 2021
SOUTH AFRICA – DIVERSE PEOPLE UNITE: WHO ARE THE SOUTH AFRICANS?

TASK 1: GETTING TO KNOW THE SOUTH AFRICANS

STEP 1: Below and on the next page, you will find a number of common South African idioms.

With the person next to you, you must now try to guess what the word/phrase means. Notice that
Marie has given you a small hint in parentheses.

SOUTH AFRICAN IDIOMS (English direct translation)

Nou nou (Now now)

Hang aan ń tak (Hang onto a branch)

Jakkals trou met wolf se vrou (The jackal is marrying the wolf’s wife)

Twee rye spore loop (Walk in two lines)

Nes ń aap op ń stokkie (Like a monkey on a stick)

ń Aap in die mou hê (Have a monkey up your sleeve)

ń Klap van die windmeul weg hê (Be hit by a windmill)

ń Hond uit ń bos gesels (Talk a dog out of a bush)

Moenie die hoender ruk nie (Don’t shake the chicken)

Jy krap met ń kort stokkie aan ń groot leeu se bal (Scratch a lion’s ball with a short stick)

Die berge het ń muis gebaar (The mountains gave birth to a mouse)

Die bobbejaan agter die bult te gaan haal (Fetch a baboon from behind the hill)
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SOUTH AFRICA – DIVERSE PEOPLE UNITE: WHO ARE THE SOUTH AFRICANS?

STEP 2: We will now be taught yet more South African words by one of South Aricas’s most
famous actress, Charlize Theron.

STEP 3:

Identity – what does it mean to be South African? We will watch a short video clip about South
African identity: “What does it mean to be South African” (eNCA)

Take note of at least 3 elements of South African national identity:

NATIONAL IDENTITY:

NATIONAL IDENTITY:

NATIONAL IDENTITY:

TASK 2: THE NATIONAL ANTHEM(S)

Step 1: Now we will listen and read the Danish National Anthem

When we have listened and read, do the following:

 Find central elements of national identity.

 Find a few pieces of imagery in the song.
 Sum up what the national anthem has in common/how they are different – how do the
song define Danish national identity?
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SPRING 2021
SOUTH AFRICA – DIVERSE PEOPLE UNITE: WHO ARE THE SOUTH AFRICANS?

Der er et yndigt land

Tekst: Adam Oehlenschläger, 1823
Melodi: H. E. Krøyer, 1835

Der er et yndigt land,

det står med brede bøge
nær salten østerstrand
nær salten østerstrand.
Det bugter sig i bakke, dal,
det hedder gamle Danmark,
og det er Frejas sal,
og det er Frejas sal.

Der sad i fordums tid

de harniskklædte kæmper,
udhvilede fra strid
udhvilede fra strid.
Så drog de frem til fjenders mén,
nu hvile deres bene
bag højens bautasten,
bag højens bautasten.

Det land endnu er skønt,

thi blå sig søen bælter,
og løvet står så grønt
og løvet står så grønt.
Og ædle kvinder, skønne mø'r
og mænd og raske svende
bebo de danskes øer,
bebo de danskes øer.

Hil drot og fædreland!

Hil hver en danneborger,
som virker, hvad han kan
som virker, hvad han kan!
Vort gamle Danmark skal bestå,
så længe bøgen spejler
sin top i bølgen blå,
sin top i bølgen blå.
Vort gamle Danmark skal bestå,
så længe bøgen spejler
sin top i bølgen blå,
sin top i bølgen blå.
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SPRING 2021
SOUTH AFRICA – DIVERSE PEOPLE UNITE: WHO ARE THE SOUTH AFRICANS?

SOUTH AFRICA

History

Before South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, the country had two anthems – an official
and an unofficial one. 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.

STEP 2:

We will now listen to and read the national anthems.

When we have listened and read, do the following:

 Find central elements of national identity.

 Find a few pieces of imagery in the songs.
 Sum up what the national anthems have in common/how they are different – how do they
collectively define South African national identity?

The Call of South Africa (Die Stem van Suid-Afrika)

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.

Die Stem Van Suid-Afrika (Afrikaans) English translation

Uit die blou van onse hemel, Ringing out from out blue heavens,
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SOUTH AFRICA – DIVERSE PEOPLE UNITE: WHO ARE THE SOUTH AFRICANS?

Uit die diepte van ons see. From our deep seas breaking round;

Oor ons ewige gebergtes waar Over everlasting mountains

Die kranse antwoord gee, Where the echoing crags resound;

Deur ons ver-verlate vlaktes From our plains where creaking wagons

Met die kreun van ossewa Cut their trails into the earth

Ruis die stem van ons geliefde, Calls the spirit of our Country,

Van ons land Suid-Afrika. Of the land that gave us birth.

Ons sal antwoord op jou roepstem, At thy call we shall not falter,

Ons sal offer wat jy vra: Firm and steadfast we shall stand.

Ons sal lewe, ons sal sterwe At thy will to live or perish,

Ons vir jou, Suid-Afrika. O South Africa, dear land.

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika

Nkosi 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 was popularised at concerts held in Johannesburg by Reverend JL Dube’s
Ohlange Zulu Choir. It 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. Apparently
there is no standard version or translations of Nkosi, and the words may vary from place to place
and from occasion to occasion.
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SPRING 2021
SOUTH AFRICA – DIVERSE PEOPLE UNITE: WHO ARE THE SOUTH AFRICANS?

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika English translation

(Xhosa)

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika Lord, bless Africa

Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo May her spirit rise high up

Yiva imathandazo yethu Hear thou our prayers

Nkosi Sikelela Lord bless us, your family/children

Thina lusapho lwayo. (repeat)

(Repeat)

(Chorus) (Chorus)

Yihla moya, yihla moya Descend, O Spirit

Yihla moya oyingcwele Descend, O Holy Spirit

Nkosi Sikelela Lord bless us

Thina lusapho lwayo. Your family.

(Repeat)

(Sesotho)

Morena boloka sechaba sa heso God protect our nation

O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho. End all wars and tribulations

(Repeat)

O se boloke, o se boloke, Protect us,

O se boloke, o se boloke.

Sechaba sa heso, Sechaba sa heso.

O se boloke morena se boloke, Protect our nation

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SPRING 2021
SOUTH AFRICA – DIVERSE PEOPLE UNITE: WHO ARE THE SOUTH AFRICANS?

O se boloke sechaba, se boloke.

Sechaba sa heso, sechaba sa heso.

Ma kube njalo! Ma kube njalo! Let it be so! Let it be so!

Kude kube ngunaphakade. Forever and ever

Kude kube ngunaphakade! Forever!

South African National Anthem – the official

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dtg_KtjrIV8

This is the official version of the national anthem, combining Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrikaand Die
Stem/The Call of South Africa, with a translation in English given in brackets:

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika isiXhosa and isiZulu

(God Bless Africa)
Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo,
(Raise high Her glory)
Yizwa imithandazo yethu,
(Hear our Prayers)
Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo
(God bless us, we her children)

Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso, Sesotho

(God protect our nation)
O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho,
(End all wars and tribulations)
O se boloke, O se boloke setjhaba sa heso,
(Protect us, protect our nation)
Setjhaba sa South Afrika - South Afrika.
(Our nation South Africa - South Africa)

Uit die blou van onse hemel, Afrikaans

(Ringing out from our blue heavens)
Uit die diepte van ons see,
(From the depth of our seas)
Oor ons ewige gebergtes,
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SOUTH AFRICA – DIVERSE PEOPLE UNITE: WHO ARE THE SOUTH AFRICANS?

(Over our everlasting mountains)

Waar die kranse antwoord gee,
(Where the echoing crags resound)

Sounds the call to come together, English

And united we shall stand,
Let us live and strive for freedom,
In South Africa our land.