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How to cite this thesis
Surname, Initial(s). (2012) Title of the thesis or dissertation. PhD. (Chemistry)/ M.Sc. (Physics)/ M.A. (Philosophy)/M.Com. (Finance) etc. [Unpublished]: University of Johannesburg. Retrieved from: https://ujdigispace.uj.ac.za (Accessed: Date). POLITICAL SONGS
by
MARTHA DOLLY MENDISI
Mini-Dissertation
submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF ARTS
in
AFRICAN LANGUAGES
in the
(3)•;;ZZ FACULTY OF ARTS
r-
at the
RAND AFRIKAANS UNIVERSITY
782 .42 \ FEND SUPERVISOR: DR. H.C. GROENEVVALD
CO-SUPERVISOR: MR. W.J. PRETORIUS
OCTOBER 1998
UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG UNIVERSITEIT VAN JOHANNESBURG AUCKLAND PARK KINGSWAY CAMPUS / KAMPUS POSBUS 524 BOX 524 AUCKLAND PARK 2006 Tel: (011) 489-2165
23 OCT 2007
2011 -69- 23
This item must be returned on or before the last date stamped. A renewal for a further period may be granted provided the book is not in demand. Fines are charged on overdue items.
1 1 1 1 1 1 II I 3006700789 RAU BIB POLITICAL SONGS
by
MARTHA DOLLY MENDISI
Mini-Dissertation
submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF ARTS
in
AFRICAN LANGUAGES
in the
FACULTY OF ARTS
at the
RAND AFRIKAANS UNIVERSITY
SUPERVISOR: DR. H.C. GROENEWALD CO-SUPERVISOR: MR. W.J. PRETORIUS
OCTOBER 1998 DEDICATION
Dedicated to my late husband
Vusumuzi Hamilton Dennis Mazibuko Mendisi ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I wish to acknowledge and thank the following people for the assistance they gave me during my studies .
Dr. KC. Groenewald my supervisor and Mr. W.J. Pretorius my co-supervisor for the assistance and the support they gave me during my study.
Mrs. Ria Uys who patiently and neatly typed my work.
To Mother and Father (Mr. and Mrs. Mazive) who gave me encouragement and support throughout my studies
My daughters Yolanda. Penelope and Euginia. Busisiwe my niece who took care of my children whilst studying.
My sisters Othah and Masefako. My brother Simon and all the friends and relatives who were supportive and cared for my children during my studies. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 1. 1 Aim, scope and outline of the study 2 1.2 Outline of the study 2 1.3 Theory 2 1.3.1 Performance approach 2 1.3.2 Feminism 3 1.3.3 Marxism 4 1.3.4 Other studies on political songs 6 1.3.5 Application of theories 6 1.3.6 Collection of data 6
CHAPTER 2: CONTEXT 8 2.1 Socio-political context 8 2.1.1 First phase 9 2.1.2 Second phase 10 2.1.3 Third phase 11 2.1.4 Fourth phase 12 2.2 Songs and language context 13 2.3 Places of performance 14 2.4 Specific locations 15 2.4.1 Schools 15 2.4.2 Churches 15 2.4.3 Graveyards 15 2.4.4 Stadiums 15 2.4.5 Police stations 15 2.4.6 Prisons 16 Page
2 4 7 Work-place 16 2.5 Participants 16 2.6 Performance 16 2.7 Conclusion 17
CHAPTER 3: FUNCTION AND CONTENT OF POLITICAL SONGS 18 Conclusion 36
CHAPTER 4: POETIC FEATURES 37 4.1 Linguistic features 37 4.1.1 Directive verbs and their function in text 37 4.1.2 Verbs with corresponding emotive values 41 4.1.3 Interactions of verbs in opposite actuality: Positive versus negative 45 4.1.4 Semantic parallelism 46 4.1.5 Semantic contrast 46 4.1.6 Onomatopoeia 47 4.1.7 Use of slang 48 4.1.8 Interjections 49 4.1.9 Dramatic nature by means of rhetorical questions 51 4.1.10 Addressing a supposed audience 52 4.2 Poetic features 54 4.2.1 Rhythm 54 4.2.2 Repetition 57 4.2.2.1 Repetition of syllables 57 4.2.2.2 Repetition of words 58 4.2.2.3 Initial linking 59 4.2.2.4 Oblique line linking 59 4.2.2.5 Repetition of phrases 60 4.2.2.6 Refrain 60
iv
Page
4.2.3 Imagery 61 4.2.3.1 Metaphor 61 4.2.3.2 Simile 64 4.2.3.3 Personification 65 4.3 Conclusion 66
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 67
REFERENCES 69
APPENDIX: POLITICAL SONGS 71 1
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
The origin of freedom songs can be traced back to the resistance movements within the Black population of South Africa. Therefore thz.,, sc, lys date back to the early 1900 s through the 1994 April elections and beyond.
Groenewald and Makopo in Sienaert (1991:79) speak of their origin as follows:
The rise of hard political songs must be sought in the peculiar foundations of Apartheid. namely in the way the colour bar is expressed, being both in terms of difference and negativity.
The division between Blacks and Whites in South Africa was caused by the laws which deprived Blacks of the rights human beings are perceived to have by virtue of their inherent dignity. Human rights imply freedom of religion, the right to vote and freedom of association. Every individual is entitled to such rights but in South Africa these were privileges, which the Government gave to some citizens only.
According to Ne! and Bezuidenhout (1995:2), the aim of human rights is to attain
As a result of these inhuman laws which the South African Government imposed on Blacks, the latter were dissatisfied and founded resistance movements. This was the origin of political songs. 2
1.1 AIM, SCOPE AND OUTLINE OF THE STUDY
The aim of this study is to look at the context, function and content of political songs. where possible with reference to the South Sotho group in South Africa. The meaning. structure and stylistic features of political songs will also be examined.
1.2 OUTLINE OF THE STUDY
In chapter two, context will be discussed. The history of resistance movements within the black population will be highlighted. Secondly, situation, in other words where and how the songs were performed. will be discussed.
Chapter three will concentrate on the function and content of freedom songs.
In chapter four attention will be given to the form and stylistic features of political songs
1.3 THEORY
In this dissertation notion of the performance approach, Feminism and Marxism will be followed.
1.3.1 Performance approach
The performance approach examines the relationship between text and context. This approach is interested in the situation, i.e. time, place, event and the wider socio-political context. It studies the whole process of communication. This is illustrated/emphasised by Okpewho (1990:139) when he says: 3
Oral narrative performance. like other speech acts is communication in which social discourse takes place principally between narrator/performer and audience.
In Groenewald (1990 . 6) Bauman also says:
Each performance has a definite limited time span. a beginning and an end, an organised programme of activity, a set of performers. an audience and a place and occasion of performance.
1.3.2 Feminism
The main aim of Feminism is to expose the political, social and economical oppression of women.
Feminists question the traditional male notions of authority and truth. For example. the Latin saying "Tote mulier in utero" (Woman is nothing but a womb) seems to suggest that a woman's body is her destiny. In the past men regarded women as inferior. According to Feminism, only women can speak about women's lives with authority, because they undergo specific female life experiences such as ovulation, menstruation and parturition.
Selden and Widdowson (1993:211) point out that:
Some radical feminists celebrate women's biological attributes as source of superiority, while others appeal to the special experience of women as the source of positive female values in life and in act.
They continue: 4
A woman's experience includes a different perceptual and emotional life, women do not see things in the same way as men, and have different ideas and feelings about what is important or not important.
Eagleton in Feminist Literary Criticism (1991) therefore opposes male theory and replaces it with female experience.
Feminism thus seeks to: Challenge complacent certainties of patriarchal culture: assert a belief in sexual equality: and eradicate sexist domination by transforming society.
The South African Apartheid system engineered by males, produced the sexual division of labour. Examples of this division include men at the mines staying in hostels and women working as domestic servants and staying in back rooms of their employers' yards. far removed from their spouses. These systems constituted the material and economic oppression of South African Black women. There was no economic household to speak of.
1.3.3 Marxism
Rigby (1987 - 28) describes Marxism's basic point of departure as follows:
The first premise of all human's existence and therefore all history ... (is) that men must be in a position to live in order to make history. But life involves, before everything else. eating and drinking, housing, clothing and various other things. The first historical act is thus the production of the material life itself. And this is indeed a historical act which today, as thousands of years ago must daily and hourly is fulfilled merely in order to sustain human life. 5
In Se!den et al. (1993.71) Karl Marx also says
The material interest of the dominant social class determines how people see human existence, individual and collective. Legal systems, for example, are not the pure manifestations of human or divine reason, but ultimately reflect the interest of the dominant class in particular historical periods.
In South Africa's case, Apartheid was effectively a legal system, which ultimately reflected the interests of the dominant class in a particular historical period.
This formed the basis of a social class conflict between Blacks as a deprived, disadvantaged class and Whites as a dominant, privileged class.
Selden et al. (1993:71) point out that the conflict of social classes establishes the ground upon which ideological conflict arises.
The ideological struggle in South Africa included the singing of political songs, which were accompanied by strikes, demonstrating the dissatisfaction of the masses against Apartheid laws, which rendered them deprived disadvantaged third class citizens in the country of their birth.
Ellis and Sechaba (1992:8) quote Mandela's statement from the dock in Pretoria's Supreme Court on 20 April 1964 when he said:
All modes of expressing opposition (to the principle of White supremacy) had been closed by legislation and we were placed in positions in which we had to accept permanent state of inferiority, or to defy the Government. We chose to defy the law. We first broke the law in a way, which avoided any recourse to violence; when this form was legislated to a 6
show of force to crush opposition to its policies. Only then did we decide to answer violence with violence.
1.3.4 Other studies on political songs
In Sienaert (1991) Groenewald and Makopo briefly discussed political songs in South Africa. They clearly distinguished between the toyi-toyi and the hymn songs. which are two types of political songs. They explained the meaning of ‘114zabalazo . . and quoted songs as illustrations. They omitted the stylistic and linguistic features however, which will be discussed in this dissertation.
1.3.5 Application of theories
The performance approach will be applied to identify aspects relating to performance.
A Feministic approach will be used to indicate that South African women used political songs to resist material and economic oppression through male domination.
Considering the theory of Marxism, it will be applied to illustrate how the ideological struggle led to the singing of different songs.
1.3.6 Collection of data
As a member of SADTU, the author parti,ipated in the singing of some of the songs used as examples in this study.
Some of the members of uMkhonto Wesizwe who returned from exile as well as others who remained behind, were also interviewed.
In addition, a collection was made of freedom songs from cassettes of Mzwakhe 7
Mbuli. a Zulu poet. Some of the songs come from the film Sarafina.
Students who belong to various organisations like PASO and COSAS have also assisted in the collection of songs. most of whicn are in Zulu.
---o0o--- 8
CHAPTER 2
CONTEXT
2.1 SOCIO-POLITICAL CONTEXT
By concentrating mainly on the ANC aligned songs, a brief discussion of the history and formation of this organisation will be included, because it is the ANC who kept the spirit of resistance alive and who united people in the struggle for liberation.
Lodge (1983:1) tells of the ANC's formation in the following way:
On 8 January 1912 there assembled in Bloemfontein several hundreds of South Africa's most prominent African citizens, professionals, landholders, businessmen, journalists, state agents, building contractors and agents. These men after singing Tiyo Soga's hymn 'Fulfil thy promise, God of truth', unanimously resolved to form the South African Native National Congress.
The first president of the South African Native National Congress was the headmaster of Ohlange Institute in Natal, John Dube. Solomon Plaatje was the secretary. he was also a court interpreter. Prixley ka Isaka Seme, a London trained advocate, was the treasurer. These men were conservatives, concerned with protecting the moral and social order they correctly perceived to be under attack. They wanted to bring Africans together and to defend their rights and freedom.
The Land Act of 1913 caused overcrowding, land hunger and starvation as it allowed Blacks to buy land in reserves only and prevented them from renting and 9 using land. Rural areas were depopulated as people worked in mines and left their families behind. The latter were also forced to leave their land because of laws and taxes, which were imposed, on them.
Lodge (1983:2) points out that:
The Land Act of 1913 and the complementary labour legislation were legal tools employed to destroy a whole class of peasant producers, forcing them into already crowded reserves or driving them into new and arduous social relationships as farm workers, as mine labourers and later in the least skilled and almost badly paid positions in urban industrial municipal domestic employment.
In 1919 the ANC protested in the Transvaal against the passes which controlled their movements and restricted their working places to be either in mines or on farms.
A non-racial political party known as the African Communist Party was formed in 1921. In 1922 the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union was also formed. These unions used militant action to win major political/social victories.
The period of resistance is divided into four phases.
2.1.1 First phase
The first phase of the resistance was the 1940s when poverty was rife among the African population. People could not afford to pay increased prices for transport. For example in 1940 there was a bus boycott in Alexandra, where people failed to negotiate with the operators, the Council and the Transport Action Committee. The boycott was brief but successful. 10
The leadership of the African National Congress adopted a strategy based on mass action. A programme of action adopted in Bloemfontein in 1949 entailed that strikes, boycotts and civil disobedience could be adopted as means of mass action.
2.1.2 Second phase
The second phase was during the 1950s. In 1950 the mass movement was born to defy the laws of Apartheid. like the Population Registration Act, the Group Areas Act. the Bantu Education Act, the pass laws and forced removals which were aimed at separating the Blacks. The Government adopted the Internal Security Act in 1950 to stop the spread of the resistance movements.
In 1952 Nelson Mandela. who was then a member of the ANC Youth League, was advised by Naboth Mokgatle, a former member of the Communist Party of South Africa. that if Blacks wanted to destroy Apartheid, they had to use any method available. For example. they had to use everything they came across against the regime. such as stones and rags. so that they could break the Apartheid machine. At that time the ANC was a disciplined party and his advice was rejected.
The anti-Apartheid movements drew up the Freedom Charter in Kliptown in the year 1955. Rights contained in the Charter stated that all national groups would have equal rights, there would be work and security. All would be equal before
the law, all would enjoy equal human rights. :.k)me of the members of the ANC broke away from it because they believed that South Africa belonged to Blacks alone. They formed the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC) in 1959, which was a Black consciousness movement.
Sophiatown, a Black freehold suburb in Johannesburg, was demolished in 1955. Its inhabitants were relocated in a State-controlled township called Meadowlands. The ANC was unsuccessful in leading the resistance. Tension increased as people were forcibly removed from Sophiatown. Songs like "0 tla a utlwa 11 makgowa a re, a re yeng Meadowlands (You will hear the White man saying, Let us go to Meadowlands) were sung.
People participated in radical politics forced by the circumstances, which prevailed during those days to identify with the masses in order to break the system and to establish their supremacy over it.
Government officials visited WinbUrg in 1956. More than 1 500 women were forced to take reference books. Lilian Ngoyi, a member of the ANC. visited these women at their request. They decided to burn their passes. The Government still continued to issue reference books in other areas. In March 1956. 20 000 women marched from their locations to city centres to hand in petitions and protest to town clerks and other local officials. Songs like "Senzeni na?" (What have we done?) were sung to express their feelings about the carrying of passes.
According to Lodge (1983:144) some of the worst fears felt by African women were that no husband could ever be sure that his wife would remain his wife, nor that his child would not be taken away from him and sold to farmers under the pretext of failing to comply with the pass regulations - how could any decent home be built for the proper upbringing of children?
On 21 March 1960 people died in Sharpeville. An aircraft failed to intimidate people who marched to the police station. People did not move as they thought that there was going to be an announcement concerning the passes. Instead a constable began firing. Of the dead, eight were women, ten were children and a hundred and eighty were men.
2.1.3 Third phase
The ANC military wing was formed in 1961. Small guerrilla units were formed which expressed a yearning for freedom through songs like "Watch out Verwoerd here comes a Black man". Such songs clearly indicated that Blacks wanted 12 freedom and were prepared to fight for it.
The ANC discovered that peaceful protest alone would not force the regime to change. As a result. the ANC decided to go underground. In 1963 the leadership. which consisted of Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu Govan Mbeki, Elias Motsoaledi Andrew Mlangeni, Raymond Mhlaba. Denis Goldberg and Ahmed Kathrada. were arrested and given life sentences. Some Je.aders like Oliver Tambo and Joe Slovo left the country.
Students who were members of the National Union of South African Students (NUSAS) and the University Christian Movement established the South African Student Organisation (SASO) in Turfloop in 1969. SASO was an agent, which raised the consciousness of the Black community. Members of this movement were not only Africans. Coloureds and Indians were also included.
2.1.4 Fourth phase
The fourth phase which was the 1970s and after, were years of crises.
Student movements like the Soweto Student Representative Council and the South African Student Movements were launched. Class boycotts in Soweto started and spread to other Black townships.
The years 1977 ai-,d 1979 were years in which uMkhonto Wesizwe was concerned with establishing its lines of communication and infiltration in Mozambique and Swaziland, setting up armed caches and forming organisational structures in townships. The bombing of policemen's houses and railway stations occurred regularly. More community organisations were launched in 1980. The United Democratic Front (UDF) was born in 1983.
The years that followed were years during which mass action and the armed struggle supported each other. There were strikes, boycotts, pickets and stay- 13 aways. Members of the police who did not agree with the masses were punished. Kangaroo courts were the order of the day. South Africa was made ungovernable, not only by students, but also by workers who were engaged in marches A national state of emergency was declared from 1984 to 1990.
The ANC and other political organisations were unbanned in 1990. The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU), COSATU Dth ,-- organisations became active after the unbanning of political organisations.
Finally. Nelson Mandela was released from Robben Island in 1990. In 1991 he was elected president of the ANC. Negotiations took place and on 27 April 1994, the South Africans voted for the political party of their choice. The Apartheid machine had finally been destroyed.
2.2 SONGS AND LANGUAGE CONTEXT
It was a problem for the oppressed to decide on a suitable language for their songs as South Africa is a multi-cultural country. The fact that most of the founders of the political parties belonged to the Nguni groups resulted in the composition of many political songs in Zulu.
The first song, a hymn, sung on the 18th of January 1912 when the ANC was founded, was a Xhosa hymn translated as 'Fulfil thy promise God of truth".
Some religious hymns were also converted into political songs.
Lodge (1983:81) says:
Other hymns apart from "Nkosi Sikelela iAfrika" that were sung on occasions were "Senzeni na?" (What have we done?) "Senzeni" was requested by chairmen to accompany 14
prayer, which in turn took the form of a political poem.
The Nguni groups outnumbered the Sotho speakers which also accounts for the dominance of Zulu.
2.3 PLACES OF PERFORMANCE
It is entrenched in African culture that when people are together to celebrate. songs are the means of communication.
Most songs were sung in the bush. They expressed painful and bitter ...sentiments. Some songs were heard from Radio Freedom and spread among the oppressed. Guerrillas who were brought inside the country taught their recruits, who in turn taught others.
Political songs spread to schools where students demonstrated against Bantu Education. In churches, religious tunes were transformed into political songs. At funerals, prayer tunes were converted into freedom songs to incite the crowd.
Most of the time these songs were heard when people were engaged in defiance campaigns. The defiance took the form of siaying away from work. There were also songs, which blamed their employers for the workers' absence from work. 15
2.4 SPECIFIC LOCATIONS
2.4.1 Schools
Political songs were sung in schools as students were protesting against Bantu Education.
2.4.2 Churches
Religious songs were used as political songs. Hymns were sung in sympathy with bereaved families.
2.4.3 Graveyards
A song need not be a hymn to be sung at a funeral. Songs originating from other experiences were also sung.
2.4.4 Stadiums
During rallies there would be group singing where everybody had a chance to participate. The songs induced solidarity and inspired patriotism among the group.
2.4.5 Police stations
People assembled at police stations to hand in memoranda because they were dissatisfied with the laws of the country. For example on 21 March of every year people assembled at Vanderbijlpark Police Station in memory of those who died while protesting against the carrying of passes. Political songs were sung by the masses whilst waiting to be addressed. Songs specifically directed at the Government were sung. 16
2.4.6 Prisons
South African prisons were full of political prisoners. As some of them were not allowed to read or work in prison, they kept the spirit of resistance alive by singing freedom songs in jail.
2.4.7 Work-place
In work-places songs like "Sisebenza mahala ayikho (We are working for nothing. there is no money) were sung.
2.5 PARTICIPANTS
Political songs were performed by anyone who felt oppressed, regardless of colour or race. They were not restricted to any particular group.
Students, workers, teachers, nurses. policemen, factory workers, pensioners and children were active participants, as Kgobe (1990:96) says:
Nearly everyone in a folk group knows these songs and sings them, or at least listens to them and knows a good deal about them. On the many occasions of group singing the less outstanding singers have ample opportunities for participating.
2.6 PERFORMANCE
Hymns are sung slowly and solemnly. There is little body movement. In some of them the lead singer will give a cue by singing the first line of the song after which the group will follow. 17
The toyi-toyi song is a form of high-energy dance accompanied by the clapping of hands and the stamping of feet. Whistles also form part of the accompaniment. The resulting effect is that the crowd surges forward as if they are frogs marching upright.
Groenewald and Makopo (1991:85) desci ibe the nature of performance as follows .
We liken such a procession to a hurricane. It sweeps and uproots everything in its path. People scurry for cover. Shops and other businesses close, public transport comes to a standstill and is then hijacked. Demands are made for food, water and cigarettes. People watch from the 'safety' of their bolted doors and drawn curtains. Others hide behind, acting out the motions. When the hurricane has subsided. the less fortunate lick their wounds while the fortunate thank their lucky stars.
2.7 CONCLUSION
The unbanning of political parties on 2 February 1990 made it possible for the ANC and other political parties to participate freely in political activities. Political songs were sung freely and brought an end to the apartheid regime.
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CHAPTER 3
FUNCTION AND CONTENT OF POLITICAL SONGS
Political songs are performed to achieve various goals. They serve to sensitise. express emotions, to warn and entertain.
Blacks were emotionally disturbed because of the many restrictive laws, which were imposed on them, resulting in dispossession. Expressive songs were sung by groups about themselves because they feared many dangers. Some died as a result of Black on Black violence, which was thought to be caused by a third force. Police brutality was another cause of death. The following song is an example of a song, which Blacks sung to express their feelings:
Safa saphel' isizwe esimnyama 0 safa! Yo safa! Isizwe sabansundu Anitsheleni izinkokheli zethu zisilamulele kulolu daba.
1 The Black nation is dying Oh it's dying! Oh it's dying! The Black nation Tell the leaders to assist us in this matter.
The dawn raids by the system in townships and the carrying of the "dompass" made people run in fear whenever they saw a policeman. The following song is reminiscent of the police action: 19
1 Khawuleza mama Khawuleza mama, khawuleza Nanka amapolisa azongena mama Khawuleza.
1 Hurry up Mother Hurry up Mother, hurry up Here are the policemen entering Mother Hurry up.
Police action also kindled anger as the following song illustrates:
I-Hipo mayishiswe I-Afrika izile Thula ma, we thula ma Khansela malishiswe I-Afrika izole Thula ma, we thula ma.
Hippos must be burnt Africa has arrived Stop crying Mother, stop crying Mother The councillor must be burnt Africa must be healed 6 Stop crying Mother, stop crying.
Blacks were dissatisfied with forced removals. Influx control, detention without trials and the dispossession of their land frustrated them. Their concern for land dispossession was expressed in the following song: 20
Thina sizwe esimnyama Sikhalela izwe lethu Elathathwa ngabamhlophe Mabayeke umhlaba wethu.
1 We the Black nation We are crying for our country Which was taken by the Whites Let them leave our land.
Forced removals from Sophiatown to Meadowlands gave birth to this song:
0 tla a utlwa Makgowa a re A re yeng Meadowlands Meadowlands, Meadowlands Meadowlands sit handwa sami.
You will hear the White man saying Let us go to Meadowlands Meadowlands, Meadowlands Meadowlands my beloved one.
Blacks were forced to abandon their families as a result of the migrant labour system. Trains, nicknamed "Mbombela", took them all over the country. Men lived in hostels away from their loved ones. The abandonment of their families frustrated them and led to the singing of the following song:
1 Hi! wafik' uMbombela Safika isitimela esibizwa uMbombela Sasiyisa yonke, yonke indawo Sasilahlisa izithandwa zethu Masizwa ukhushu-khushu siyazi ukuthi uMbombela Sigibela uMbombela ngethemba elikhulu ukuya emadolobeni 21
Emadolobheni omcebo Siphethe izagila namawisa Wenyuka njalo we-Mbombela Ushiya izithembiso eziningi emuva Wenyuka njalo we-Mbombela.
1 Oh! here comes Mbombela Here comes the train called Mbombela Taking us all over, all over the country Making us abandon our beloved ones When we hear khushu-khushu we know it is Mbombela We board khushu-khushu with our hopes leaving for the city Cities with riches Carrying sticks and knobkieries You just keep on going Mbombela Leaving behind lots of promises You just keep on going Mbombela.
Blacks were prevented from exercising their full democratic rights in the land of their birth. They were unable to achieve their full potential because of job reservation and suffered as a result of discriminatory legislation and policies. They did not have much livestock, some were arrested for not carrying passes, and others could not live with their parents in rural areas as they had to seek employment in Johannesburg. Infants and mothers were left alone whilst their fathers and husbands stayed in hostels. Boys and girls also fled the country in fear of being arrested.
The following song illustrates that Blacks suffered the indignities and humiliation of racial discrimination:
Se a lela setjhaba Dikgomo di fedile 0 helele. 22
4 Ba fedile le bopapa Ba tshwaretswe dipasa 0 helele.
Sitimela se ba tsere Ba feletse Johannesburg 0 helele.
Basimane le basetsana Ba tshabile Soweto 0 helele.
Maseya le basadi Ba setse ba le bangwe 0 helele.
Tlong le bone Mathata a Afrika 0 helele.
The nation is crying The cows are gone 0 helele.
Our fathers are gone They are arrested for reference books 0 helele.
7 The train has taken them They are all in Johannesburg 0 helele. 23
Boys and girls They have run away from Soweto 0 helele.
Babies and mothers Are left alone 0 helele.
Come and see The hardship of Africa 0 helele.
Mothers were saddened by bereavement resulting from the loss of a husband or a child. The same happened when their children went into exile. This separation was so painful that they were reduced to tears. This song speaks of such a state of affairs:
1 We mame mzali Mama mzali sula izinyembezi Siyazi kubuhlungu Mama mzali bo Mama mzali sula izinyembezi.
Umama usele yedwa ekhaya We ma, we ma, we ma Mama uthuma bani na? We ma, we ma, we ma Mama duduzeka ma We ma, we ma, we ma Nansi mellow yellow ma Afrika we-Afrika 24
14 Afrika we-Afrika Ubani na olilayo? Sula wena izinyembezi Kula mehlo alilayo.
Afrika we-Afrika Ubani olilayo? Thula mama Thula mama Ngoba uMkhonto usufikile.
Hey Mother, my parent Mother my parent, wipe those tears We know it is painful Mother my parent Mother my parent wipes those tears.
My Mother is left alone Mother, Mother, Mother Mother whom are you going to send? Mother, Mother, Mother Mother be consoled Mother, Mother, Mother Here is the flying squad Africa, oh Africa.
Africa, oh Africa Who is crying? Wipe those tears From those crying eyes. 25
Africa, oh Africa Who is crying? Stop crying Mother Stop crying Mother The Spear (MK) has arrived.
Some of the agents of Apartheid were Blacks. They were paid to . spy or kill. Some of them were well known to the Black masses, but nothing could be done as they were protected. The song cited below intimates that if you are a spy. you are also a killer:
1 Udlala ngabantu emabhunwini babo Uyaziqhekez' izindaba ngabantu Uhola ngegazi labantu Uyaliqhansa igazi lendoda Baphelir ubaqedile Laf' elikaNjomane kaNdaba.
7 lzimpimpi zonke zigcwele umhlaba zisiqedile We mayibabo laf' elikaNjomane kaNdaba Izimpimpi zonke zigcwele umhlaba zisiqedile We mayebabo laf' elikaNjomane kaNdaba ETransvaal we bakhuluma ngawe Siqgila sasePitoli bayakukhokhela Ukhonjwa ngekhanda ngapha nangapha izwe lonke bo ESoweto, kwaMashu, eMlazi ubaqedile.
You are playing with the Blacks amongst the Boers You are revealing what the people have said You are leading by the blood of the people You are spilling man's blood They are finished, you have finished them The nation of Njomane of Ndaba is dying. 27
Ba tshwanetse ho bolawa Ho bolawa, ho bolawa Dihipo ke tsa bona Ke tsa bona, ke tsa bona.
John Vorster ke ya bona Ke ya bona, ke ya bona South Africa ke ya rona Ke ya rona, ke ya rona.
They have killed the Africans Africans, Africans Kruger and Vorster And Vorster and Vorster.
They must be killed Be killed, be killed The hippos are theirs Theirs, theirs.
John Vorster is theirs Theirs, theirs South Africa is ours Ours, ours.
In the following song the oppressed speak of losing hope. There are some rhetoric questions directed at God. Blacks want to know what they have done to endure such hardships. They want to know the causes of racial conflict because all people are God's children. 28
Bawo Thixo Somandla Kuyintoni ubugqila bami? Kaze senzeni ebusweni benkosi? Kaze senzeni na?
5 Kaze senzeni na? Emhlabeni sibuthwel' ubunzima Sibuthwel' ubunzima 8 Bawo Thixo Somandla.
Heavenly Father Why am I a slave? What have we done in the face of God? What have we done?
What have we done? On earth we are in hardship We are in hardship God Almighty.
The riots caused fear amongst the Whites. They moved to all parts of the country to stop such uprisings. The following song illustrates this fear:
Aya lena, aya lena ayadidizela Ayesaba amaBhunu He mm, he mm he.
They are going this way and this way, they are confused The Boers are afraid He mm, he mm he.
Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu are seen as Messiah figures because their 29 names are regarded as holy. The song below indicates that there is no one similar to Nelson Mandela or Walter Sisulu (the song has a few variants):
Nelson Mandela/Walter Sisulu Ha ho na ya tswanang le yena Lebitso la hae le a halalela Ha ho na ya tswanang le yena.
1 Nelson Mandela/Walter Sisulu No one resembles him His name is holy No one resembles him.
The following song states that people from exile became dangerous when they returned home. They arrived in South Africa in the late hours of the night and killed people they suspected of being against the struggle.
1. E rile ba boyela hae Ba fihlile Mozambique Ba nyolohela Zimbabwe Ba fihlile ho robetswe Bazuka ya bolaya Bazuka ya bolaya motho.
When they returned home They arrived in Mozambique They passed Zimbabwe They found people still asleep The bazooka killed The bazooka killed people.
The masses were educated to keep the spirit of resistance alive. They were also 30 informed that no one who spied on them would survive:
lnkomo engazala umuntu Kusho thina Ayikho Ayikho inkomo engazala umuntu.
lmpimpi engapimpa uMkhonto Hawu kayikho Ayikho Ayikho impimpi engapimpa uMkhonto.
1 There is no cow that can give birth to a human being We are saying so There is none There is no cow that can give birth to a human being.
There is no spy who can spy on MK There is none There is none There is no spy who can spy on MK
People who were in the struggle were telling their fellow men not to cry and worry. They had to be strong and brave for their country arl fellow citizens who were also in the struggle. This was a song of encouragement:
Qabane we-qabane, qabane we-qabane Ubani lo olilayo? Sula wena inyembezi, sula wena inyembezi Kula mehlo alilayo.
1 Hero, hero, hero, hero 31
Who is crying? Wipe those tears, wipe those tears From those crying eyes.
In the following song the people were telling the Government that they would not be oppressed forever. They pointed out that they were being led by Mandela and Luthuli. The song sent a message to the Government to prepare itself because the Spear of the Nation had arrived to save the people from oppression:
Baleka baleka Vorster Nang' uMkhonto usufikile.
Thina sin guMkhonto Wesizwe Sikhokhelwa wuMandela.
Sin gamasotsha kaLuthuli Amasotsha kaLuthuli.
Silwela inkululeko Kudala sihlupheka.
Mayibuye i-Afrika Eyathathwa ngamaBhunu.
Bhasopha Vorster Nang' uMkhonto usufikile.
Run away, run away Vorster The MK cadres have arrived.
We are the Spear of the Nation. We are led by Mandela. 32
We are Luthuli's solders Luthuli's soldiers.
We are fighting for freedom We have suffered for a long time.
Come back Africa Which has been taken by the Boers.
11 Beware Vorster 12. The Spear has arrived.
People who did not want to be part of the struggle were also addressed. They were requested to join because they could assist in stopping the killing of innocent people. The killing led to the singing of the following song:
We/e/e, we/e/e, qabane Mandela ake usiphendule Sifuna amabhunu azositshela Bay/le abafana bayokubashaya.
Vukani vukani mawethu Nincede baphela abantu Kukriona uMkhonto uyamemeza Saphela isizwe Sigqitshwa ngamaBhunu.
Welele, welele, hero Mandela answer us We want the Boers to tell us The boys have gone to give them a hiding. 33
Wake up. wake up, people Give assistance, people are dying The Spear is calling The nation is dying 9 We are buried by the Boers.
The Spear (MK) came to fight for the country. The following song informed, the Government to prepare for its overthrow. People also had to make preparations for the coming of the Spear (MK):
1 Shanyelani amabala zingane Nang' uMkhonto uzongena Uzobadubula uphethe Amascorpion ngezandla.
1 Sweep the yard children 2 The Spear is coming in It is going to shoot them whilst holding Scorpions in their hands.
People were depressed because of the disappearance of many people. They asked the Government to give them answers. The following song poses unanswered questions'
He! Jimmy Kruger, kutheni na kunjenjenje? He! Nawe Vorster, kutheni na kunjenjenje? Thina siyabuza Nina aniphenduli.
Baphi oLuthuli, kutheni na kunjenjenje? Baphi oNokwe bazosiza? Thina siyabuza Nina nizophendula. 34
He! Jimmy Kruger, why is it like this? He! Vorster, why is it like this? We are asking You will answer.
5 Where are the Luthulis, why is it like this? 6. Where are the Nokwes to assist? 7. We are asking 8 You will answer.
On 16 June 1976 there was sorrow in Soweto because children were killed. The killing itself is not mentioned in the following song but it says that mountains remind us of sadness. Therefore it is reminiscent of the riots in Soweto:
1 Ha ke sheba 2. Thabeng tsela 3 Di nkgopotsa mahlomola.
June 16 ko Soweto June 16 ko Soweto.
6 Ha ke sheba 7. Thabeng tsela 8. Di nkgopotsa mahlomola 9 Mahlomola, mahlomola.
1 When I look At those mountains They remind me of sadness.
June 16 in Soweto June 16 in Soweto. 35
6 When I look At those mountains They remind me of sadness 9 Sadness. sadness.
At the beginning and end of many gatherings the song which is now known as the national anthem was sung. It was sung in Zulu first and then in Sotho:
Nkosi sikelel' i-Afrika Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo Yizwa imithandazo yethu Nkosi sikelela Thina lusapho lwayo.
Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho se boloke morena se boloke morena Setjhaba sa heso Setjhaba sa heso.
Lord support Africa Let her horn be raised Listen to our prayers Lord support Us. her children
God protect our nation Do away with wars and troubles God protect God protect Our nation Our nation 36
Some songs refer to ancestral worship, as the following song proves:
1. 0 myekeni ahambe Myekeni ahambe Angen' eQamada Myekeleni.
Leave him/her, let him/her go Leave him/her, let him/her go Let him enter the place of the ancestors 4 Leave him/her.
Although songs expressed emotions, they also had entertainment value. Any song could be used in this way.
CONCLUSION
The above discussion shows that the political songs played an important role in the liberation of the masses. Apart from this function, they were also performed for entertainment. Singing together helped to bridge whatever rift between the oppressed.
---o0o--- 37
CHAPTER 4
POETIC FEATURES
4.1 LINGUISTIC FEATURES
4.1.1 Directive verbs and their function in text
A directive verb is instructive. Through songs, needs of Black South Africans were expressed in an instructive way as the following song proves:
Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso 0 fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho 0 se boloke morena 0 se boloke morena Setjhaba sa heso Setjhaba sa heso.
God protect our nation Do away with wars and troubles God protect God protect Our nation Our nation.
In line 1 the imperative verb boloka expresses an urgent request from the people. This supplication is extended in lines 2 and 4 by means of the subjunctive verb o fedise (do away with) and o se boloke (you must protect it).
In the following lines the oppressed are pleading and at the same time instructing the ANC to come and see the Boers who have taken their land: 38
Woza, woza ANC Uzobona, uzobona amaBhunu AmaBhunu, amaBhunu asithathele 4 /zwe, izwe lethu sizoNwela.
Come, come ANC Come, come and see the Boers The Boers, the Boers have taken 4 Our land, our land we are going to fight for.
The imperative verb Woza (come) in line 1 is a directive, which instructs the ANC to be present when their land is being taken.
The directive verb instructs not only those who are in positions of high authority but also ordinary people in the community, as the following song illustrates:
We mama mzali Mama mzali sula izinyembezi Siyazi kubuhlungu Mama mzali bo Mama mzali sula izinyembezi.
Hey Mother, my parent Mother my parent wipe those tears We know it is painful Mother my parent Mother my parent wipes those tears.
Mama (Mother) is instructed by means of the imperative verb sula (wipe) to wipe her tears, sula izinyembezi in line 2. Though the conditions are so hard and 39 painful Mother is not supposed to cry. She is instructed to be strong so that she can give strength to her children.
People desperately needing to be strengthened by supernatural powers ask the Holy Spirit to come and bless them. The request to the Holy Spirit is expressed by the imperative form woza, which is derived from the verb stem -za (come) in the following song:
Woza moya Woza moya oyingcwele Nikosi sikelela Thina lusapho lwayo.
Come spirit Come Holy Spirit Lord support Us, her children.
In the song below the South African Government is referred to as "children". They are instructed to prepare themselves by sweeping (shanyelam) as the ANC is coming to overthrow them with guns called scorpions.
Shanyelani amabala zingane Nang' uMkhonto uzongena Uzobadubula uphethe Amascorpion ngezandla.
Sweep the yard children The Spear is coming in It is going to shoot them while holding Scorpions in the hands. 40
Mothers who were left behind are not comforted by the thought that their children are in exile. They are instructed to stop crying, as their children will come back to South Africa. They are told that these children will return with mortars, prepared to fight. This instruction is given by means of the imperative verb thula (keep quiet) followed by a form of address ma (Mother).
Kuseduze emakhaya Siyaya we thula ma Siyaya we thula ma.
Son gena ngemortar Thula ma, we thula ma Son gena nge-AK 7 Thula ma, we thula ma.
Our homes are nearby We are going, stop crying Mother We are going, stop crying Mother.
We are going to get in with a mortar Stop crying Mother, stop crying We are going to get in with an AK Stop crying Mother, stop crying.
The oppressed are no longer afraid of the system. They are instructing their followers to climb on top of houses and tell everybody that their mothers are happy when they beat the Boers. This implies that they are prepared to suffer the consequences. The following song is an example:
Gibela phezu kwendlu ubatshele Umama uyajabula uma sishaya amaBhunu Jabula mama. 41
1 Climb on top of the houses and tell them Mother becomes happy when we beat the Boers Be glad Mother.
The imperative verb gibela (to climb) expresses an urgent command which encourages the people to demonstrate their determination.
People are also instructed to wake up and to become involved as people are dying and some are forced out of the country. People must support the struggle by resisting and joining political parties. They must wake up and be aware of what is happening in the country, as can be seen in the following song:
Vukani, vukani mawethu Nincede baphela abantu Kukhona uMkhonto uyamemeza Saphela isizwe Sigqitshwa ngamaBhunu.
Wake up, wake up people Give assistance, people are dying The Spear is calling The nation is dying We are burned by the Boers.
The imperative verb vukani (wake up all of you) expresses the need for co- operation The usage of the form of address mawethu (our people) evokes the idea of common interest and camaraderie.
4.1.2 Verbs with corresponding emotive values
In the African languages, as in other languages, a verb is often an important vehicle to express emotions. A basic characteristic of a song is to express 42 emotion.
Merriam (1964:219) says:
One of the outstanding features of song is that they provide a vehicle for the expression of ideas and emotion not revealed in ordinary discourse.
The following is an illustration of a song with a verb expressing sadness:
Safa saphel' isizwe esimnyama 0 safa! Yo safa! lsizwe sabansundu Anitsheleni izinkokheli zethu zisilamulele kulolu daba.
The Black nation is dying Oh it is dying! Oh it is dying! The Black nation Tell the leaders to assist us in this matter.
The emotion of sadness is evident when the singers use the verb safa because they become deeply touched by the thought of the Black nation dying. In Sotho a corresponding song is found, namely "Se a /e/a setjhaba" (The nation is crying). Lela is a verb stem expressing sadness and pain. The Black nation is crying because they have lost their livestock, children and parents. They are appealing to the Government to stop the miseries. The song cited below is an example of a song which has a verb with emotive value:
Sea/eta setjhaba Dikgomo di fedile 0 helele. 43
Ba fedile le bopapa Ba tshwaretswe dipasa 0 helele.
Setimela se ba tsere Ba feletse Johannesburg 0 helele.
Basimane le basetsana Ba tshabile Soweto 0 he/e/e.
Maseya le basadi Ba setse bale bangwe 0 helele.
Tlang le bone Mathata a Afrika 0 helele.
The nation is crying The cows are gone 0 helele.
Our fathers are gone They were arrested for reference books 0 helele.
The train has taken them They are all in Johannesburg 0 helele. 44
Boys and girls They have run away from Soweto 0 helele.
Babies and mothers Are left alone 0 helele.
Come and see The hardship of Soweto 0 helele.
"Ba bolaya Ma-Afrika" (They are killing the Africans). To kill is to deprive of life. The following song does not only deal with physical killing but also tells of the spiritual and moral destruction of a Black man by the Apartheid laws. Those who are responsible for this destruction must be eliminated. This Sotho song can be compared to the Zulu song, "safa saphel' isizwe esimnyama" as shown in the previous paragraphs.
Ba bolaya Ma-Afrika Ma-Afrika, Ma-Afrika Ke Kruger le Vorster 4 Le Vorster le Vorster.
5 Ba tshwanetswe ho bolawa Ho bolawa, ho bolawa Dihipo ke tsa bona Ke tsa bona, ke tsa bona.
John Vorster ke ya bona Ke ya bona, ke ya bona South Afrika ke ya rona Ke ya rona, ke ya rona. 45
They are killing the Africans Africans, Africans Kruger and Vorster And Vorster and Vorster.
They are supposed to be killed To be killed, to be killed The hippos are theirs It is theirs, it is theirs.
John Vorster is theirs Theirs, theirs South Africa is ours Ours, ours.
4.1.3 Interactions of verbs in opposite actuality: Positive versus negative
The following is an illustration of a song with positive versus negative actuality:
Koloi tsa Matadiane Di entse moferefere
Ba bang ba re: di a palangwa
Ba bang ba re: ha di palangwe.
1 The vehicles of the Italian Have brought strife Some say they can be boarded Others say they dare not be boarded.
This song shows that people were confused. Those who did not participate in the struggle thought positively. They wanted to be on board the buses: di palangwe (must be boarded). The masses that felt oppressed thought negatively. They did 46 not want to be on board the buses: ha di palangwe (they dare not be boarded).
4.1.4 Semantic parallelism
One way of creating semantic parallelism is to use synonyms at regular intervals. Synonyms are used to avoid repetition of the same words, which . can be monotonous. An example is cited below:
Lona Maburu Le satlatjha Le sa tla tuka.
You Boers You will burn You will burn.
The verb stems tsha and tuka both express the meaning of "to burn" in successive lines. Equivalent structures and meanings bring about parallelism.
4.1.5 Semantic contrast
Contrast is found in the succession of words with opposite meanings as in the following examples:
1 Baphi oLuthuli, kutheni na kunjenjenje? Baphi oNokwe bazosiza? Thina siyabuza Nina nizophendula.
Where are the Luthuli's, why is it like this? Where are the Nokwe s? We are asking You will answer. 47
Siyabuza (we ask) in line 3 contrasts with nizophendula (you will answer) in line 4
Ke batla borotho hodimo le tlase serameng sa ditoropong Ke a sotleha, ha ke na letho dipotleng Ha ke na letho maleng, ke lapile, ke kgathetse, ke a Ila empa nka se beye marapo fatshe.
Searching high and low for bread in the cold hard nights of the city I am suffering, I have nothing in my pockets I have nothing in my stomach, I am hungry, I am tired, I am crying, but I will not give up.
4.1.6 Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia refers to words that imitate the sound of actions they describe. An example appears in the following song:
Hi! Wafik' uMbombela Safik' isitimela esibizwa uMbombela Sasiyisa yonke, yonke indawo Sasilahlisa izithandwa zethu Masizwa ukhushu-khushu siyazi ukuthi uMbombela.
Oh! Here comes Mbombela Here comes the train called Mbombela Taking us all over, all over the country Making us abandon our loved ones When we hear khushu-khushu we know that's Mbombela.
Khushu-khushu imitates the sound of a moving locomotive. 48
4.1.7 Use of slang
According to Fromkin and Rodman (1993:300):
The usage of slang. or colloquial language. introduces many new words into the language by recombining old words into new meaning.
In Zulu and Sotho all words (which are often called loan words) taken from Afrikaans or English are phonologically adapted in Zulu and Sotho to fit in the phonological system of the particular language.
Bhasobha (beware) is a loan word in Zulu which is derived from the Afrikaans word "pasop'. In the following song the slang word bhasobha is used to emphasise the idea. The Afrikaners were the only ones who were privileged to say - pasop" to the Blacks. Now the Blacks have turned the tables. They say
- pasop" to the then president of South Africa, Vorster:
Bhasobha Vorster Nang' uMkhonto usufikile.
Beware Vorster The Spear has arrived.
Masotja is a loan word (via the Zulu amasotsha) which is derived from the English word soldiers. Mandela is desperately in need of soldiers. Masotja is used to emphasise this desperate need. In this song he seems to think that by using the word he can be heard by different speakers of Black languages, as masotja is a slang word which can be understood by all Africans.
1 0 robaletseng? Tsoga, tsoga Mandela o nyaka masota 49
1 Why are you sleeping Wake up. wake up Mandela wants soldiers.
4.1.8 Interjections
Interjections are words, which express grief, anger, dissatisfaction or doubt. They are used for addressing people. to express a request or for greetings.
An example of an interjection used for greetings is found in the following lines:
We/e/e, welele, qabane Mandela ake usiphendule Sifuna amaBhunu azositshela Bayile abafana bayokubashaya.
Welele, welele, hero Mandela answer us We want the Boers to tell us The boys have gone to give them a hiding.
Mandela is greeted as a hero by means of we/e/e before he is asked to answer some questions. It is customary among Blacks to greet first, no m3tter in which mood they are.
He! is an interjection, which expresses dejection. In the following song people are despondent about the whereabouts of Luthuli and Nokwe. They are asking Kruger and Vorster to answer their questions.
He! Jimmy Kruger, kutheni na kunjenjenje? He! Nawe Vorster, kutheni na kunjenjenje? Thina siyabuza 4 Nina nizophedula. 50
He! Jimmy Kruger, why is it like this? He! Vorster, why is it like this? We are asking You will answer.
People are happy to see that the train called Mbombela is coming to transport them all over the country. The exclamation expressing happiness is introduced by the interjection hi!
Hi! Wafik' uMbombela Safik' isitimela esibizwa uMbombela Sasiyisa yonke, yonke indawo Sasilahlisa izithandwa zethu.
Oh! Here comes Mbombela Here comes the train called Mbombela Taking us all over, all over the country Making us abandon our loved ones.
Death, revenge, detention, conspiracy or treason can cause sadness. In the following song spies who are responsible for the death and detention of comrades cause sadness. Mayibabo! in the song below is an interjection, which expresses this sadness:
lzimpimpi zonke zigcwele umhlaba zisiqedile We mayibabo laf' elikaNjomane kaNdaba lzimpimpi zonke zigcwele umhlaba zisiqedile We mayibabo elikaNjomane kaNdaba ETransvaal we bakhuluma ngawe Sigqila sasePitoli bayakukhokhela Ukhonjwa ngekhanda ngapha nangapha izwe lonke bo ESoweto, kwaMashu, eMlazi ubaqedile. 51
The informers are all over the world, they have finished us Mayibabo! The nation of Njomane of Ndaba is dying The informers are abundant in the world they have finished us Mayibabo! The nation of Njomane of Ndaba is dying In the Transvaal they are talking about you Slave of Pretoria they are paying you You are pointed to by the head this side and that side In Soweto, KwaMashu and eMlazi you have finished them.
4.1.9 Dramatic nature by means of rhetorical questions
Pretorius (1989:28) says:
A rhetorical question is basically a question, which does not expect an answer, or one to which the answer is more or less self-evident. It is used primarily for stylistic (dramatic) effect.
0 robaletseng? (Why are you sleeping?) is a question asked to those people who do not want to participate in the struggle. They are not expected to give an answer for their reluctance.
0 robaletseng? Tsoga, tsoga Mandela o nyaka masotja
Why are you sleeping Wake up, wake up Mandela wants soldiers. 52
In the following song a question is put to God who expresses sadness and astonishment but the question is not answered.
1 Bawo Thixo Somandla Kwiyintoni ubugqila bami? Kaze senzeni ebusweni benkosi? Kaze senzeni na?
1 Heavenly Father Why am I a slave? What have we done in the face of God? What have we done?
Another form of rhetorical question is that to which an answer is supplied as seen from the quotation below:
Lejelathoko ke lena Le loilwe ke mang? Le to//we ke Maburu.
Here is a lone eater By whom is he bewitched? He is bewitched by the Boers.
4.1.10 Aodressing a supposed audience
Political songs were primarily directed at a Black audience to boost their morale and to conquer fear. The audience was either active participants or onlookers. The Whites did not understand political songs though at times these songs were directed at them, as they were generally not speakers of the Black languages.
Black people could not be excluded as an audience in the singing as they understood the songs. A message of hope and motivation was therefore passed 54
They must be killed Be killed, be killed The hippos are theirs Theirs, theirs.
The underlying message of the song is that the Kruger and Vorster should be killed as they are the one who gave orders that the Blacks should be killed.
4.2 POETIC FEATURES
Although political songs do not exhibit the density of poetic techniques of, for instance, praise poetry for chiefs, as verbal art they nevertheless distinguish themselves from denotative language use. Political songs are forceful, not only through the confronting nature of performance, but also through its language use.
4.2.1 Rhythm
Pretorius (1989:14) says:
In Northern Sotho poetry rhythm is determined by a metrical pattern resulting from the arrangement of rhythmic units within a verse. Sometimes a difference is observed between the rhythm found in ordinary spoken language and verse rhythm.
The rhythm of the following songs is determined to a great extent by an internal caesura. The slower rhythm suggests sadness: 55
He! /Jimmy Kruger, / kutheni na kunjenjenje? // He! / nawe Vorster, / kutheni na kunjenjenje? // Thina / siyabuza // Nina / nizophendula.
1 He! Jimmy kruger, why is it like this? He! Vorster, why is it like this? We are asking You will answer.
In the above song, the half pause as distinguished by Pretorius (1989:14) is indicated by (/) and the full pause by (//).
The occurrence of a terminal caesura is illustrated in the song below. The rhythm is also slower to show sadness and dissatisfaction.
UdIala ngabantu emabhunwini babo // Uyaziqhekez' izindaba ngabantu // Uhola ngegazi labantu /- Uyaliqhansa igazi lendoda // Baphelir ubaqedile // Laf' elikaNjomane kaNdaba. //
You are playing with Blacks amongst the Boers You are revealing what the people have said You are leading by the blood of people You are spilling man's blood They are finished, you have finished them The nation of Njomane of Ndaba is dying.
Rhythm is also determined by length as can be seen in the following song. Length will be shown at the penultimate syllable of polysyllabic words. One distinguishes between 1/2 length (.) and full length (:). 56
Se ya le.la / setihata // Dikgo.mo di fedi:le // 0 hele:le. //
4 Ba fedi.le / le bopa.pa // 5. Ba tshware.tswe / dipa:sa // 6 0 hele:le. //
Setime:la / se ba tse..re // Ba fele.tse / Johannesbufg // 0 hele:le. //
Basima.ne le basetsa:na // Ba tshabi.le / Sowe:to // 0 hele:le. //
Mase.ya / le basa:di // Ba se.tse / ba le ba:ngwe // 0 hele:le. //
T/a. ng / le bo:ne // Matha.ta / a Afri:ka // 0 hele:le. //
The nation is crying The cows are gone 0 helele.
Our fathers are gone They are arrested for reference books 0 helele. 57
7 The train has taken them 8. They are all in Johannesburg 9 0 helele.
Boys and girls They have run away from Soweto 0 helele.
Babies and mothers Are left alone 0 helele.
Come and see The hardship of Soweto 0 helele.
4.2.2 Repetition
4.2.2.1 Repetition of syllables
Sound may be used to create atmosphere, to imitate and to stress (Pretorius, 1989:22). In the following quotation the repetition of syllables is illustrated:
Masibabulaleni ngesibhamu Bazoyithetha inyani ngesibhamu.
ltyala labo linzima Bazayithetha inyani ngesibhamu.
Bath umeleni ngomkhonto Bazayithetha inyani ngesibhamu. 58
Babulaleni ngesibhamu Bazayithetha inyani ngezibhamu.
Let us kill them with a gun They will tell the truth when the gun is used.
Their case is difficult They will tell the truth when the gun is used.
Send them with the Spear (MK) They will tell the truth when the gun is used.
Kill them with the gun They will tell the truth when the gun is used.
The syllables ha and bha are repeated to create a specific sound effect.
In the following lines the syllables sa and si are repeated in successive lines:
Safa saphel' isizwe esimnyama 0 safa! Yo safa! Isizwe sabansundu 4 Anitsheleni izinkokheli zethu zisilamulele kulolu daba.
The Black nation is dying Oh it is dying! Oh it is dying! The Black nation 4 Tell the leaders to assist us.
4.2.2.2 Repetition of words
Words can be repeated in various places. Linking, the repetition of words in successive lines, is often found in verbal art. Initial linking and oblique line linking
59
are found in some songs.
4.2.2.3 Initial linking
This is the repetition of similar words or phrases at the beginning of a line as can be seen in the following example:
Sizongena eSouth Africa Sizonciena nangebhazuka.
We are going to enter South Africa We will enter with bazooka guns.
4.2.2.4 Oblique line linking
This is the repetition of words at the end and beginning of successive poetic lines.
Hamba kahle Mkhonto Mkhonto wesizwe Thina bantu boMkhonto sizimisele Ukuwabulala wona la maBhunu.
Go well (MK) spear Spear of the Nation We people of the Spear we are prepared To kill these Boers.
The significance of the repetition of the word Mkhonto is to emphasise that the person who is given a farewell is a staunch member of the ANC.
60
4.2.2.5 Repetition of phrases and sentences
The repetition of phrases and sentences can be found in the following song:
Qabane we qabane, qabane we qabane Ubani lo olilayo? Sula wena izinyembezi, sula wena izinyembezi Kula mehlo alilayo.
Hero, oh hero, hero, oh hero Who is crying? Wipe those tears, wipe those tears In those crying eyes.
Another example is found in the following song:
Ba bolaya Ma-Afrika Ma-Afrika, Ma-Afrika Ke Kruger /e Vorster Le Vorster le Vorster.
They are supposed to be killed To be killed, to be killed 3 The hippos are theirs 4 It is theirs, it is theirs.
The repetition of corresponding phrases in successive lines helps to create a regular rhythmic pattern, which contributes to the lyrical basis of these songs.
4.2.2.6 Refrain
In Pretorius (1989:21) Cuddon describes refrain as: 61
The repetition of a phrase, line or lines, at intervals and especially at the end of a stanza.
Example: Baetapele ba rona 2 lyo nyanyata tsa nnete.
Mandela ke lekurila lyo nyanyata tsa nnete.
Tambo ke lekurila /yo nyanyata tsa nnete.
Our leaders They are real leaders
Mandela is a guerrilla They are real leaders
Tambo is a guerrilla They are real leaders.
In the above song, a refrain has been applied to emphasise that Tambo and Mandela are real leaders.
4.2.3 Imagery
4.2.3.1 Metaphor
According to Pretorius (1989:32):
Traditionally metaphor is loosely defined as an implied comparison. In this case words are used to indicate something different from the literal meaning. Two objects 62
or aspects are compared with each other in their totality. One may thus represent the other to evoke a deeper or "figurative" meaning.
When metaphors are explicitly marked it is indicated by ke in Sotho, as in the following example:
Se/to sa ANC Ke piano, e ella jwaloka piano.
ANC's cry It is a piano it cries like a piano.
The ANC's cry is painful but the cry is equated to the melody of the piano. The meaning is therefore figurative.
But metaphors need not be marked explicitly, as in clear in the following examples:
Nyamazane (wild animal) is a metaphor for people who are veracious like wild animals and kill the Boers by spraying bullets (Yafafaza amaBhunu) - see line 9 below:
Awu yele yelele mama Awu yele yelele mama Abazazi basizwa ngendaba Nan ge-APLA bayifunda ephepheni Nan ge-APLA bayifunda ephepheni
6 Hayi nyamazane nyamazane Hayi gerela nyamazane Yafiki APLA eTransfala awu awu awu Yafafaza amaBhuna awu awu awu 63
10 Yelele amaBhunu 11. Wena Vorster bopha.
Oh yelele Mother Oh yelele Mother They do not know us, they hear us through the news Even APLA is read about in papers Even APLA is read about in papers.
Hayi wild animal, wild animal Hayi guerrilla, wild animal APLA has arrived in Transvaal Oh! Oh! Oh! It has sprayed the Boers Oh! Oh! Oh! Yelele the Boers Vorster be strong.
The song cited below deals with the guerrillas who entered Pretoria where they found Botha and Kruger:
Baqede isizwe ezimnyama Sesifikile sekwenzenjani? Come gerela man Gerela man Gerela man Nyamazane Yangen' i-APLA ePitoli Yathola uBotha, uKruger Yathola uBotha, uKruger.
They have finished the Black nations We have arrived, what happened? Come guerrilla man Guerrilla man Guerrilla man 64
6 Wild animal APLA has entered Pretoria It has found Botha, Kruger It has found Botha, Kruger.
The word lmbokodo (stone) is indicative of stubbornness in the following song. The South African Government was stubborn and did not want to change the Apartheid laws. The song cited below illustrates that because of the refusal of the Government to change its laws, it will be overthrown.
1 Imbokodo 2 lzobethwa Into oyenzayo ayilunganga Ngicela uyeke uzobethwa Imbokodo Into oyenzayo ayilunganga.
1 A stone 2 Will be struck What you are doing is wrong Please stop it, you will be struck A stone What you are doing is wrong.
4.2.3.2 Simile
Pretorius and Swart (1988:41) say with regard to simile:
Here an explicit comparison is made between two different objects/scenes/actions, usually connected by a comparative conjunction.
Here follows an example: 65
1. 0 mobe 0 mobe Verwoerd 0 tshwana le kolobe Mo tloheleng ba mo tsafenda (hlabe).
You are ugly You are ugly Verwoerd, You look like a pig Leave him to be stabbed.
Verwoerd's appearance is compared to a pig.
4.2.3.3 Personification
Personification takes place when non-persons, such as animals and things. display human characteristics (Pretorius & Swart. 1988:42):
Example: A ko botse Mr Mahlangu Hore sekopione sena 0 na se thola kae Thoteng tsa Angola Thoteng tsa Angola Thoteng tsa Angola Se ntse se ja Maburu.
1 Just ask Mr Mahlangu About this scorpion Where did he find it In the hills of Angola In the hills of Angola In the hills of Angola Eating (killing) the Boers. 67
CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSION
Prior to 27 April 1994, South African policy was based on minority rule.
Blacks were denied fundamental rights because of racial discrimination. The Blacks were not guaranteed the right to basic education or the right to freedom of movement and that led to the singing of songs such as "Senzeni no?" (What have we done) because they felt they were being punished.
Songs such as "The cattle are dying" (because there is no grazing) indicated that the right to own land freely was not allowed.
The minority rule in South Africa led to the banning of all political parties in South Africa, a factor that led to the ANC embracing the armed struggle to engage with the South African regime. As the ANC was a banned organisation within the country, they could only wage the armed struggle from outside the borders of the country.
The ultimate objective of the armed struggle as spearheaded by the ANC and the PAC in exile, was the total liberation of the oppressed masses. Interestingly enough, the struggle for the liberation of the masses culminated in the holding of talks termed CODESA.
Black people are a singing nation. When they are happy, when they are angry or when they are sad, they sing.
On the completion of this research, it can be concluded that every facet of the struggle had songs to depict the then prevailing mood. For example, songs showing defiance of the transport price hike such as "koloi ena ha ena mabidi" 68
(This car does not have wheels) was sung to show that people were prepared to ride even the worst scrap rather than to pay increased fares.
Political songs helped to bring an end to racial discrimination and united Black and Whites to work together as one nation. Blacks and Whites today sing one national anthem. Singing the anthem together helps to close the rift between the races. Both Blacks and Whites pray together for their country South Africa, to be blessed by God.
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REFERENCES
EAGLETON. M 1991. Feminist Literary Critism. London: Longman.
ELLIS. S. & SECHABA, T. 1992 Comrades Against Apartheid. Indiana: • Indiana University Press.
FROMKIN, V. & RODMAN, R. 1993. An Introduction to Language. Raleigh: North Carolina University.
GROENEWALD, H.C. 1990. The performance approach and zangoma performances. Unpublished paper. Johannesburg: Rand Afrikaans University.
GROENEWALD, H.C. & MAKOPO, S. 1991. The Political song: Tradition and innovation for liberation. In: Sienaert, E.; Bell, N. & Lewis, M. (eds.) 1991: Oral Tradition and Innovation: New Wine in Old Bottles? Durban: University of Natal Oral Documentation and Research Centre.
KGOBE, D.M. 1990. Traditional Literature. Studyguide for TRLTOO-Y. Pretoria: University of South Africa.
LODGE. T. 1983. Black Politics in Southern Africa Since 1945. Johannesburg: Ravan Press.
MERRIAM, A.P. 1964. The Anthropology of Music. Evanston: North Western University Press.
NEL, F. & BEZUIDENHOUT, J. 1995. Human Rights for the Police. Cape Town: Creda Press.
OKPEWHO, I. 1990. Ora/ Performance in Africa. lbadan: Spectrum. 70
PRETORIUS, W J 1989. Aspects of Northern Sot ho Poetry. Pretoria: Via Afrika.
PRETORIUS. W.J. & SWART. J.H.A. 1988. Teaching African Literature. Pretoria: University of South Africa.
RIGBY, S.H.1987. Marxism and History: A Critical Introduction. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
SELDEN, R. & WIDDOWSON, P. 1993. Contemporary Literary Theory. Hertfordshire: Harvester Wheatsheaf.
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APPENDIX
POLITICAL SONGS
1. SEA LELA SETJHABA
Se a lela setjhaba Dikgomo di fed/le helele.
Ba fedile le bopapa Ba tshwaretswe dipasa helele.
Setimela se ba tsere Ba feletse Johannesburg helele.
Basimane le basetsana Ba tshabile Soweto helele.
Maseya le basadi Ba setse ba le bangwe helele.
Tlang le bone Mathata a Afrika helele. 72
The nation is crying The cows are gone helele.
Our fathers are gone They are arrested for reference books helele.
The train has taken them They are all in Johannesburg helele.
Boys and girls They have run away from Soweto helele.
Babies and mothers Are left alone helele.
Come and see The hardship of Soweto helele.
2. KOLOI TSA MATADIANA
Koloi tsa Mat adiane Di entse moferefere Ba bang ba re: di a palangwa Ba bang ba re: ha di palangwe. 73
The vehicle of the Italian Has brought strife Some say they can be boarded Others say they dare not be boarded.
SAPHELA ISIZWE
Safa saphel' isizwe esimnyama 0 safa! Yo safa! Isizwe sabansundu Anitsheleni izinkokheli zethu zisila m ulele kulolu daba.
The Black nation is dying Oh it is dying! Oh it is dying! The Black nation Tell the leaders to assist us in this matter.
0 ROBALETSENG
0 robaletseng? Tsoga, tsoga Mandela o nyaka masotja.
Why are you sleeping? Wake up, wake up Mandela wants soliders. 74
NAKO E FIHLILE
Nako e fihfile Wa jeka, jeka We Botha wa gafa na? Wa jeka, jeka.
Time has come You are dawdling, dawdling Botha are you mad? You are dawdling, dawdling.
HA KE SHEBA
Ha ke sheba Blue Waterbag E nkgopotsa Matthew Goniwe, Sparrow Mkhonto, Fort Galati, Sicelo Mhlauli.
Ha ba hlahe Ba bolaileng Ba nkgopotsa Matthew Goniwe, Sparrow Mkhonto, Fort Galati, Sicelo
When I look At Blue Waterbag It reminds me of Matthew Goniwe, Sparrow Mkhonto, Fort Galati, Sicelo Mhlauli.
They must reveal themselves Those who have killed They remind me of Matthew Goniwe, Sparrow Mkhonto, Fort Galati, Sicelo Mhlauli. 75
HA HO YA TSHWANANG LE YENA
Nelson Mandela / Walter Sisulu Ha ho na ya tshwanang le yena Lebitso la hae le a halalela Ha ho na ya tshwanang le yena.
Nelson Mandela / Walter Sisulu No one resembles him His name is holy No one resembles him.
LEJELA THOKO
Lejelathoko ke lena Le loilwe ke mang? Le loilwe ke Maburu.
Here is a lone eater By whom is he bewitched? He is bewitched by the Boers.
BAETAPELE
Baetapele ba rona /yo nyanyata tsa nnete.
Mandela ke be lekurila lyo nyanyata tsa nnete. 76
Tambo ke le lekurila lyo nyanyata tsa rona.
Our leaders They are real leaders
Mandela is a guerrilla He is a real leader
Tambo is a guerrilla He is a real leader.
SELELO SA SOUTH AFRICA
Hole, hole Hole, hole South Africa Re re Tambo o tla kena A tsh ware AKA Hole South Africa.
Far away, far away Far away in South Africa Tambo will get in With an AK Far away in South Africa.
0 TLA A UTLWA MAKGOWA A RE
0 tla a utlwa Makgowa a re A re yeng ko Meadowlands Meadowlands, Meadowlands Meadowlands sit handwa sami. 77
You will hear what the white man says Let us go to Meadowlands Meadowlands, Meadowlands Meadowlands my beloved one.
OLIVER TAMBO
Oliver Tambo thetha noBotha akhulule uMandela uMandela azobusa.
Oliver Tambo speak with Botha to release Mandela So that Mandela can reign.
AYADIDIZELA
Aya lena, aya lena ayadidizela Ayesaba amaBhunu He mm, he mm he.
They are going this way and this way, they are confused The Boers are afraid He mm. he mm he.
UDLALA NGABANTU
Udlala ngabantu emabhunwini babo Uyaziqhekez' izindaba ngabantu Uhola ngegazi labantu 78
Uyaliqhansa igazi lendoda Baphelil' ubaqedile Laf elikaNjomane kaNdaba lzimpimpi zonke zigcwele umhlaba zisiqedile We mayibabo! Laf' likaNjomane kaNdaba lzimpimpi zonke zigcwele urnhlaba zisiqedile We mayibabo! Laf' likaNjornane kaNdaba ETransvaal we bakhuluma ngawe Sigqila sasePitoli bayakukhokhela Ukhonjwa ngekhanda ngapha nangapha izwe lonke bo ESoweto, kwaMashu, eMlazi ubaqedile.
You are playing with the Blacks amongst the Boers You are revealing what the people have said You are leading by the blood of people You are spilling man's blood They are finished, you have finished them The nation of Njomane of Ndaba is dying
The informers are all over the world, they have finished us May ibabo! The nation of Njomane of Ndaba is dying The informers are all over the world, they have finished us Mayibabo! The nation of Njomane of Ndaba is dying In the Transvaal they are talking about you Slave of Pretoria they are paying you You are pointed to by the head this side and that side In Soweto, kwaMashu and eMlazi you have finished them. 79
THIXO SOMANDLA
Bawo Thixo Somandla Kwiyintoni ubugqila barn!? Kaze senzeni ebusweni benkosi? Kaze senzeni na?
Kaze senzeni na? Emhlabeni sibuthwel' ubunzima Sibuthwel' ubunzima Bawo Thixo Somandla.
Heavenly Father Why am I a slave? What have we done in the face of God? What have we done?
What have we done? On earth, we suffer hardship We suffer hardship Heavenly Father.
BA BOLAYA MA-AFRIKA
Ba bolaya Ma-Afrika Ma-Afrika, Ma-Afrika Ke Kruger le Vorster Le Vorster le Vorster.
Ba tshwanetse ho bolawa Ho bolawa, ho bolawa 80
Dihipo ke tsa bona Ke tsa bona, ke tsa bona.
John Vorster ke ya bona Ke ya bona, ke ya bona South Africa ke ya rona Ke ya rona, ke ya rona.
They are killing the Africans Africans. Africans Kruger and Vorster And Vorster and Vorster
They are supposed to be killed To be killed, to be killed The hippos are theirs It is theirs, it is theirs.
John Vorster is theirs Theirs, theirs South Africa is ours Ours, ours.
17. SHONA MALANGA
Shona malanga Shoo-00000na, shona malanga Sesizodibana dibana ngebazuka ehlathini.
Ending of days Ending, ending of days Ending of days, ending We are going to meet, to meet with bazooka in the forest. 81
BAZOKA
E rile ba boyela hae Ba fihlile Mozambique Ba nyolohela Zimbabwe Ba fihlile ho robetswe Bazuka ya bolaya Bazuka ya bolaya motho.
When they returned home They arrived in Mozambique They passed Zimbabwe They found people still asleep The bazooka killed The bazooka killed people.
SIHLALA MAHHALA
ESoweto sihlala mahala, lzimpimpi zibhadal' irent Thu/a, thula, thula mntanami Sikhona isibhamu, sokushaya amaBhunu.
In Soweto we are staying free of charge Informers pay rent Keep quiet, keep quiet my child We have a gun to shoot the Boers. 82
EMAZWENI
Emazweni Bakhala ngami Emazweni Bakhala ngami, bakhala ngami.
In foreign countries They are crying for me In foreign countries They are crying for me. they are crying for me.
QABANE
Qabane we qabane, qabane we qabane Ubani lo olilayo? Sula wena izinyembezi, sula wena izinyembezi Kula mehlo, alilayo.
Hero, hero, hero, hero Who is crying? Wipe those tears, wipe those tears From those crying eyes.
JIKELELE
UMandela ngiyamthanda Ngoba usonta eCOSATU Jikelele, jikelele Jikelele, jikelele. 83
I love Mandela Because his church is COSATU Everywhere, everywhere Everywhere, everywhere.
WOZA ANC
Woza, woza ANC Uzobona, uzobona amaBhunu AmaBhunu, amaBhunu azithathele lzwe, izwe lethu sizolilwela.
Come, come ANC Come, come and see the Boers The Boers, the Boers have taken Our land, our land, we are going to fight for it.
ZABALAZA
We zabalaza we zabalaza uthuleleni Zabalaza we zabalaza uthuleleni
Sib oshiwe, sib oshiwe siboshiwe Siboshwelwe amahhala
Zabalaza, zabalaza, zabalaza
Amadoda ayakhuluma Zabalaza uthuleleni zabalaza 84
Siboshiwe, siboshiwe, siboshiwe Siboshelwe amahhala
Zabalaza, zabalaza, zabalaza.
Resist, why are you quiet? Resist, resist, why are you quiet?
We are arrested, arrested, arrested We are arrested, for nothing
Resist, resist, resist
Men are talking Resist, why are you quiet?
We are arrested, arrested. arrested We are arrested for nothing
Resist, resist, resist.
25. INKOMO
lnkomo engazala umuntu Kusho thina Ayikho Ayikho inkomo engazala umuntu.
Impimpi engapimpa uMkhonto Hawu kayikho Ayikho Ayikho impimpi engapimpa uMkhonto. 85
There is no cow that can give birth to a human being We are saying so There is none There is no cow that can give birth to a human being.
There is no spy who can spy on MK There is none There is none There is no spy who can spy on MK.
26. HA KE SHEBA
Ha ke sheba Thabeng tsela Di kgopotsa mahlomola.
June 16 ko Soweto June 16 ko Soweto.
Ha ke sheba Thabeng tsela Di nkgopotsa mahlomola Mahlomola, mahlomola.
When I look At those mountains They remind me of sadness.
June 16 in Soweto June 16 in Soweto. 86
When I look At those mountains They remind me of sadness Sadness, sadness
27. WABALEKA
Baleka baleka Voster Nang' uMkhonto usufikile
Thina sin guMkhonto Wesizwe Sikhokhelwa wuMandela.
Sin gamasotsha kaLuthuli Amasotsha kaLuthuli.
Silwela inkululeko Kudala sihlupheka.
Mayibuyi Afrika Eyathathwa ngamaBhunu.
Bhasopha Voster Nang' uMkhonto usufikile.
Run away, run away Voster MK has arrived.
We are the Spear of the Nation. We are led by Mandela. 87
We are Luthuli's soldiers Luthuli's soldiers
We are fighting for freedom We have suffered for a long time.
Come back Africa Which has been taken by the Boers
Beware Voster The spear has arrived.
28. WELELE
We/e/e, we/e/e, qabane Mandela ake usiphendule Sifuna amaBhunu azositshela Bayile abafana bayoKubashaya.
Vukani vukani mawethu Nincede baphela abantu Kukhona uMkhonto uyamemeza Saphela isizwe Sigqitshwa ngamaBhunu.
Welele, welele, hero Mandela answer us We want the Boers to tell us The boys have gone to give them a hiding. 88
Wake up. wake up people Give assistance, people are dying The spear is available and it is calling The nation is dying We are burned by the Boers.
SHANYELANI
Shanyelani amabala zingane Nang' uMkhonto uzongena Uzobadubula uphethe Amascorpion ngezandla.
Sweep the yard children The Spear is coming in It is going to shoot holding Scorpions in the hands.
KUTHENI NA KUNJENJENJE
He! Jimmy Kruger, kutheni na kunjenjenje? He! nawe Vorster, kutheni na kunjenjenje? Thina siyabuza Nina nizophendula.
Baphi oLuthuli, kutheni na kunjenjenje? Baphi oNokwe bazosiza? Thina siyabuza Nina nizophendula. 89
He! Jimmy Kruger, why is it like this? He! Vorster, why is it like this? We are asking You will answer.
Where are the Luthuli's, why is it like this? Where are the Nokwe's to assist? We are asking You will answer.
ROLIHLAHLA
Rolihlaha Mandela Tokoloho e matsohong a hao Re bontshe tsela ya tokoloho Lefatsheng la Afrika.
Rolihlahla Mandela Freedom is in your hands Show us the road to freedom In this land of Africa.
MBOMBELA
Hi! Wafik' uMbombela Safik' isitimela esibizwa uMbombela Sasiyisa yonke, yonke indawo Sasilahlisa izithandwa zethu Masizwa ukhushu-khushu siyazi ukuthi uMbombela Sigibela uMbombela ngethemba elikhulu ukuya emadolobeni 90
Emadolobheni omcebo Siphethe izagila namawisa Wenyuka njalo we-Mbombela Ushiya izithembiso eziningi emuva Wenyuka njalo we-Mbombela.
Oh! Here comes Mbombela Here comes the train called Mbombela Taking us all over, all over the country Making us abandon our loved ones When we hear khushu-khushu we know it is Mbombela We board khushu-khushu with our high hopes heading for the city Cities with riches Carrying sticks and knobkieries You just keep on going Mbombela Leaving behind lots of promises You just keep on going Mbombela.
33. USHILO
Wayeshilo Wayeshil' uTambo Wathi Botha Wathi Botha uzowuyeka umsebenzi.
He has said Tambo has said He said Botha Botha you will resign. 91
34. MZALI
We! mame mzafi Mama mzali sula izinyembezi Siyazi kubuhlungu Mama mzafi bo Mama mzall sula izinyembezi.
Umama usele yedwa ekhaya We! ma, we! ma, we! ma Mama uthuma ban' na? We ma, we ma. we ma Mama dudezeka ma We ma, we ma. we ma Nansi mellow yellow ma Afrika we-Afrika.
Afrika we-Afrika Ubani na olilayo? Sula wena izinyembezi Kula mehlo alilayo.
Afrika we-Afrika Ubani ofilayo? Thula mama Thula mama Ngob' uMkhonto usufikile.
Hey Mother, my parent Mother my parent. wipe those tears We know it is painful Mother my parent Mother my parent, wipe those tears. 92
My Mother is left alone Mother, Mother, Mother Mother whom are you going to send Mother, Mother, Mother Mother be consoled Mother, mother, mother Here is the flying squad Africa, oh Africa.
Africa, oh Africa Who is crying? Wipe those tears From those crying eyes.
Africa, oh Africa Who is crying? Stop crying Mother Stop crying Mother The spear (MK) has arrived.
35. HAMBA
Hamba kahle Mkhonto Mkhonto weSizwe Thina bantu boMkhonto sizimisele Ukuwabulala wona la maBhuna.
Go well MK (Spear) Spear of the Nation We, people of the spear, we are prepared To kill the Boers. 93
SIYAYA EPITOLI
Siyaya ePitoli Siyaya Epitofi (Many times).
We are going to Pretoria We are going to Pretoria.
SIZWE ESIMNYAMA
Thina sizwe esimnyama Sikhalela izwe lethu Elathathwa ngabamhlophe Mabayeke umhlaba wethu.
We the Black nation We are crying for the country Which was taken by the Whites Let them leave our land.
ILANGA LISHONILE llanga lishonile AsarrT v& bafana siyoshaya amaBhunu Sombamb' uMalan Sombamba ePitoli Unecala, unecala elikhulu. 94
The sun has set Let us go boys to hit the Boers We are going to hit the Boers We are going to catch him in Pretoria He is guilty, very guilty.
39. SIZONGENA
Sizongena eSouth Africa Sizongena nangebhazuka.
Uzohamba wena Vorster Wena Jimmy Kruger.
Sithi hi! hi! weMangope Hi! hi! hi! weMangope. Suk'undigezela.
We are going to enter South Africa We will enter with bazooka guns.
You are going to go away Vorster You Jimmy Kruger.
We say hi! hi! Mangope Hi! Hi! Hi! Mangope Do not flatter me. 95
40. MASIBABULALENI
Masibabulaleni ngesibhamu Bazoyithetha inyani ngesibhamu.
ltyala labo linzima Bazayithetha inyani ngesibhamu.
Bathumeleni ngoMkhonto Bazayithetha inyani ngesibhamu.
Babulaleni ngesibhamu Bazayithetha inyani ngezibhamu.
Let us kill them with a gun They will tell the truth when the gun is used.
Their case is difficult They will tell the truth when the gun is used.
Send them with the spear They will tell the truth when the gun is used.
Kill them with a gun They will tell the truth when the gun is used. 96
41. SIYAYA
ESoweto Siyaya siyaya noma kukubi.
EGugulethu Siyaya siyaya noma kukubi.
EPitoli Siyaya noma kukubi.
Kona Ekapa Siyaya siyaya noma kukubi.
EMIazi Siyaya noma kukubi.
To Soweto We are going, we are going even if it is bad.
To Gugulethu We are going. we are going even if it is bad.
To Pretoria We are going, we are going even if it is bad.
In Cape Town We are going, we are going even if its bad.
To Mlazi We are going, we are going even if it is bad. 97
HIPO
I-Hipo mayishiswe I-Afrika Thula ma, we thula ma Khansela malishiswe I-Afrika izole Thula ma. we thula ma.
Hippos must be burnt
Africa has arrived
Stop crying Mother, stop crying Mother
The councillor must be burnt Africa must be healed
Stop crying Mother, stop crying.
UYABALEKA
Uyabalek' uBotha Uyabalek' uBotha Uyabalek' uBotha Nezinja zakhe.
Botha is fleeing
Botha is fleeing
Botha is fleeing
Together with his dogs. 98
KUSEDUZE
Kuseduze emakhaya Siyaya we thula ma Siyaya we thula ma.
Son gena nge-mortar Thula ma we thula ma Son gena nge-AK Thula ma we thula ma.
Our homes are nearby We are going, stop crying Mother We are going, stop crying Mother.
We are going to get in with a mortar Stop crying Mother, stop crying Mother We are going to get in with an AK Stop crying Mother, stop crying.
IMBOKODO
Wathint' abafazi Wathint' imbokodo Uzokufa.
You strike a woman You strike a stone You will die. 99
46. NKOSI SIKELEL' i-AFRIKA
Nkosi sikeler i-Afrika Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo Yizwa imithandazo yethu Nkosi sikelela Thina lusapho lwayo.
Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso fed/se dintwa le matshwenyeho se boloke morena se boloke morena Setjhaba sa heso Setjhaba sa heso.
Woza moya Woza moya oyingcwele Nikosi sikelela Thina lusapho lwayo.
Lord support Africa Let her horn be raised Listen to our prayers Lord support Us, her children.
God protect our nation Do away with wars and troubles God protect God protect Our nation Our nation. 100
Come Spirit Come Holy Spirit Lord support Us. her children. 782.42 MEND
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