A Unique Anthem and a Prayer

If ever South Africa needed prayer it’s now.

Yet every time we sing our anthem, we pray.

If ever South Africa needed prayer it's now, yet every time we sing our anthem, we pray. Share on X

As COVID-19 sweeps the globe, South Africa started behind many of the big countries, partly because we were in summer while other countries were in winter. Evidently, COVID-19 doesn’t like heat. However, we have now joined the pandemic and sadly, we’re catching up.

Only God can save this land –  as indeed is true of the world. 

Only God can save this land - as indeed is true of the world. Request prayer for your country here. Share on X

As a country, South Africa has some unique problems, including a huge population suffering with AIDS and TB. We also have huge residential “townships” jam-packed with people, many of whom are not able or willing to cooperate in the call to a total lockdown of 21 days.

But we have also some amazing factors in our favour.

• Our president called for a national day of prayer.
• He and the government have issued strict regulations to control a nation-wide lockdown of at least 21 days.
• The police, supported by the army, are trying to enforce these regulations. Why anyone wants to rebel is quite beyond me, but there you have it.

• But perhaps the biggest factor of all is our National Anthem. You see, it is actually a prayer.

South Africa is famous for many “firsts” but I wonder how many people know that our official anthem, Nkosi Sikilel iAfrica is the only neo-modal national anthem in the world. That means, it ends in a different key to where it begins. It is also a multi-language anthem.

The national anthem of a country is normally sung in the language used by most of the people of the nation. But we have twelve official languages! So read on . . .

The South African anthem developed along with the history of the nation as follows:

 

History of Anthem

• 1897: a Methodist school teacher by the name of   Enoch Sontonga composed a hymn in Zulu, Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika. This was first sung in churches, but later became used as an act of political defiance against the apartheid government.

• 1918: South African poet, C.J.Langenhoven, wrote an Afrikaans poem called, Die Stem (The Call).

•  1921: Rev. Marthinus Lourens de Villiers set the song to music.

• 1936: Die Stem van Suid-Afrika became the co-anthem with God Save the King/Queen.

• 1942: Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika was published in Sesotho by Moses Mphahlele.

• 1957: Die Stem became the sole national anthem.

•  1994: The S.African government adopted both Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika and Die Stem as the national anthems, and they were both performed at the inauguration of Nelson Mandela.

• 1997: All of these were merged to form the current anthem. New English lyrics were adapted from the last four lines on the first verse of Die Stem and part of the Sesotho version was included.

The Result

The result is a stirring anthem sung in the five languages of  Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans and English.

The national anthem of South Africa is the only neo-modal anthem in the world. And it's a prayer in five languages! Share on X

After you’ve read the words below, listen to the song.

Language	Lyrics	English translation
Xhosa	Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika Maluphakanyisw’ uphondo lwayo	God bless Africa Let its (Africa’s) horn be raised
Zulu	Yizwa imithandazo yethu, Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo.	Listen also to our prayers, Lord bless us, we are the family of it (Africa).
Sesotho	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	Lord bless our nation, Stop wars and sufferings, Save it, save our nation, The nation of South Africa, South Africa.
Afrikaans	Uit die blou van onse hemel, Uit die diepte van ons see, Oor ons ewige gebergtes, Waar die kranse antwoord gee,	From the blue of our skies, From the depth of our sea, Over our everlasting mountains, Where the echoing crags resound.
English	Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom In South Africa our land.	Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom In South Africa our land.

Click here to listen to this magnificent anthem (less than 2 minutes).

[stextbox id=’info’]Will you offer up a prayer for South Africa right now? Afterwards, please add the name of your country into a comment below and I promise to add your country[/stextbox]